Soldier: Legacy
by Rob Sears
Summary: Novelization of the manga. It took only one to right the wrongs of the galaxy. The Hatchling. The Hunter. She goes by many names, but she is universally known as the best bounty hunter in the galaxy. This is the story of Samus Aran and how her name became legend. This is her beginning.
1. Chapter 1: Invasion

_**A/N: Greetings to all who have stumbled upon this story. If you have followed me from the Mass Effect section where I've spent the last year tinkering in, I thank you for your support in joining me in a new franchise, one that has held a special place in my heart for years.**_

_**Of course, some of you may be asking: Why Metroid?**_

_**Well, for starters, every single game I've ever played in the franchise has been a perfect game in my opinion, combining a haunting atmosphere with a compelling story. And when I say perfect games, I of course do not mean the travesty that was Other M, an installment that I have been fortunate enough to avoid. I am familiar with the story, but my headcanon is pretending like that game does not exist, so there won't be any references here that allude to it. Regardless, the Metroid series has been an inspiration for me and I've wanted to write for the franchise for a while now, and I thought that I should wet my feet by starting with a novelization of the manga.**_

_**The manga itself has resulted in a mixed reception among Metroid fans because it gets some things right, while others it gets very wrong. What I aim to do is offer my interpretation of the entire story, most notably through fixing the wretched dialogue and heavily altering a few scenes. My intent is to offer an expansion on the story by adding more detail while keeping its dark tone even throughout. Metroid is Nintendo's most "adult" franchise and I'll do my damnedest to see that it doesn't delve into anything corny or over-the-top.**_

_**I hope this manages to capture your interest in the way that the immense potential captured mine. I look forward to developing this further.**_

_**For now, enjoy the story.**_

* * *

**Solder: Legacy**

* * *

Mankind's ambition to reach for the stars was an act bordering on insanity when the idea was first approached. Breaking free of the bonds of their home planet was considered insurmountable and the hidden dangers wracked the public with worry. But when the sea and the air had been summarily conquered, there was nothing to quench the nature of humanity to explore, except to travel beyond into the stars, and so it seemed that the next exodus was inevitable. When they finally accomplished that final hurdle with the colonization of Mars, humanity had passed a milestone that had been set eons before they could ever imagine. Now, they had become part of the galactic community.

Thus began the Golden Era of humanity. With the ability to transport themselves across the galaxy now at their fingertips, humans became an integral part of galactic society by assimilating their skills and knowledge into the established collective. The transition was not a smooth one as it was a period marked by conflict, but by Cosmic Year 2000, almost 3000 years after humanity first took its steps onto another celestial body, a tender peace had finally enveloped the galaxy and the assimilation had been completed in full.

To take advantage of the newfound lull in conflict, the myriad planets in the Milky Way vowed to stand together as one force, and they formed what would be called the Galactic Federation. The Federation would comprise representatives from each world, headed by a chairman, and all of the participating planets would merge their armies into one massive war machine with the intent to utilize it as a force for peace. It would be zealously regulated so that no one species could claim the most power, and the established system appeared to be working. As long as the democracy was firmly set in stone, the army remained stable.

The introduction of the Federation also gave a boost to the other species that never had the manpower to defend their own planets before to suddenly find themselves host to a force willing to die to protect their civil liberties. The peace of mind was a good thing for the galaxy. Fringe attacks on colony worlds were not uncommon, but the formation of the Federation gave more protection to the outlying planets, now able to spread their resources over a wider margin. Many of the colonies were not settled to spread the seeds of population, however, but to harvest valuable resources. Helium, methane, gold, cobalt, all were consumed heavily by the Federation and its subsidies. A giant machine, constantly devouring.

But, there was one mineral that was more precious to the Federation out of all the available resources the galaxy could offer. Every single ship that possessed a hyperdrive in the galaxy, a fair ratio to be sure, all required this mineral to function. Afloraltite was the mineral that made this development possible. Without it, the supply lines would run short and simple hops around the galaxy could turn into years without the mineral to function. All hyperdrives possessed an ignition module that was the catalyst in a hyperjump and afloraltite was required to ignite the initial stages of a jump, thus starting the delicate process. In relativistic terms, however, hyperjumping was akin to forcefully ripping a hole in space in time powered by such a violent shock that sent the craft into faster than light velocities. But afloraltite made it all possible, no matter how dangerous of a substance it was, for it was the only material that could do such a thing.

And there were many that were willing to kill for it.

* * *

Star Colony K-2L

Cosmic Year 2058

The bulky transport shuddered as all of its weight fell upon its landing gear. The metal buckled and groaned but the shock absorbers merely bounced the craft along. Dust scattered along the landing pad and several mechanics quickly ran forward to attach fuel hoses to the undercarriage, automatically getting out of the way of the docking ramp.

The metal surface hit the ground with a clunk and a group of five men slowly trudged out. One was wearing a cap and he waved it in front of his face, sending the cool air of K-2L towards him.

The colony world of K-2L was a lush paradise. The settlement formed near the afloraltite mines was sparse and hobbled together, but the surrounding forests were a brilliant green and were capped off by rocky mountains in the distance. The sky was a deep blue and a few clouds dotted the pristine surface. Good weather for flying.

The captain of the freighter put his cap back on and smiled as he saw the crew chief walking towards him. He stuck out a calloused hand and was rewarded with a firm shake. "Chief Aran," he grinned, "it's good to see you again."

The chief was a tall, strapping man of about thirty. He had tussled, sandy brown hair, and a day's worth of stubble on his face. Sweat beaded on the man's brow but the fire in his eyes projected a youthful energy.

"Likewise, Michael," Rodney Aran said. "How was the trip coming in?"

"Boring as shit," the captain drawled. "Ran out of vids to watch during the last two days of the voyage so I had jack-all to do in the meantime."

"That's rough," Rodney chuckled. "But I think my wife has a few extra copies of some old classics she picked up during our last leave. I'll see if I can ship them over to you before you depart."

"You're a good man, chief," Michael breathed out.

"Think nothing of it. You did a good job out there. Now go inside the bunker and get yourself a hot meal. We've got the game on and everything."

Michael's eyes sparkled at the prospect of some decent food. "Live or recorded?"

"You think we're _that_ well off that we can get a live recording out here in the Rim? It's recorded, but I hear we're kicking ass over there."

"Might as well catch it. I want to at least stay on top of things when my boy wants to discuss sports with me. The damn kid knows more about the game than I do at this point."

Rodney laughed and went back to his clipboard as Michael joined his crew inside the building at the end of the landing pad. He jotted down a few notes as he began to walk the perimeter of the vessel. It was the only ship on the pad at the moment and Rodney could take the time to meander a bit in his inspection, purposefully keeping his gait slow.

Being one of the few crew chiefs on an important colony world such as K-2L was stressful work, but Rodney Aran had more determination than most men. He believed in a good, honest day's work, and apparently the Federation thought so too. He was being well compensated for this job, and in ten years' time, if he wasn't going to be reassigned, he could be able to retire and live a modest life on a populated world. K-2L had charm, but it did get lonely from time to time.

Rodney surmised that his attitude would have been much worse if his wife had not agreed to join him on the colony. It was perhaps her guiding hand, and his new kid, that was providing him the direction in life whereas others could find none. At the very least, her physical presence was very cathartic, and he knew that he would have to be hard pressed to find another woman as determined as her.

"Rod!" a voice called, coincidentally rousing him from his thoughts.

He turned to see a woman in a utilitarian dress walk across the landing pad towards him. Her hair was a solid brown and tied up in a ponytail, apart from two locks that fell over the sides of her forehead.

Virginia Aran was certainly a beautiful woman, perhaps the prettiest on the planet – in Rodney's biased opinion - and he definitely noticed some of the mechanics stealing glances at her as she hustled underneath the transport. Oh well, he could kick their asses later. Not in front of the wife, though.

"Virginia!" he exclaimed as he pulled her in for a hug, while still holding onto his clipboard. "What brings you over here? Is something wrong?"

"Not in the slightest," Virginia shook her head, her ponytail bobbing in unison. "I just thought that since you've been spending a few nights out here, you could use a decent meal once in a while." She held her hands out and Rodney could see a sandwich and some fruit through the clear plastic wrap.

"Lunch?" Rodney's eyes widened. "Oh, Virginia, you really didn't need to do that."

"I did it anyway. It's only a half mile walk to your workplace, Rod, so it's not like it was quite a trek. I'm almost certain that you haven't been eating healthily in weeks. You haven't been home in a while, Rod. Even Samus has noticed."

"Samus…" Rodney sighed, closing his eyes shut in regret. "Ah, that kid doesn't deserve a dad like me."

"I sincerely hope you're joking, Rod!" Virginia arched an eyebrow.

"Only a little!" Rodney said defensively. "But...it's just that I've been so busy with these shipments that I'm..." He breathed out in frustration. "…I only want her to understand that I'm doing this so that we can have a better life…so that Samus has a _future_, Virginia."

"She _does_ have a future," Virginia assured. "But you need to stay healthy so that you will have a shot of _being_ in her future, Rodney."

Rodney laughed and gently took the lunch bag from Virginia. She only used his full name when she was being very serious. Guess this was one of those times when it qualified.

"I guess I can't argue with that," he smirked towards his wife. "I could never win in an argument against you anyw-"

A crackle of static cut him off, causing Rodney to reach for his radio. "Yeah? What is it?" he barked into the transmitter in a gruff tone. Virginia could not make out the static-filled reply but whatever it was, it made Rodney pause a beat and perform a double take.

"You sure? Damn." Rodney was now starting to look a bit more agitated. "All right, have them land over on pad four. I'll be sure to greet them personally."

* * *

"Come on!" a small voice moaned. "Give that back!"

If anyone from a civilized planet happened to catch sight of the ordeal at the moment, they might have questioned the kind of parenting that let young children run amok around a mining colony. They could turn up their nose and move on forward, arrogantly confident that their snide assumption somehow made the situation all the more better. But it was not like their words were going to change things _here_.

Of course, Samus Aran was not like most children. Colony kids did not have the luxury of being stuck in a stuffy school all day, or even rooted to the spot in front of a vidscreen, watching mindless programs for hours until they became a vegetable. Children became bored easily and sometimes letting them off the leash was a good way to satiate their natural curiosity. Besides, the parents around here encouraged physical activity anyway.

It was fortuitous that K-2L possessed such a temperate climate that allowed humans to tromp around outside comfortably. It was also fortunate that the woods near the landing pad were a source of exploration to these children. With the right amount of imagination, it became their portal for an alternate reality, making it the ultimate playground.

At least until an outside force wandered by and subsequently dissolved the illusion.

For that was what happened when young Samus was walking down her favorite path. She had been tossing her small pack up and down to herself, laughing while she did it. She was tall for her age, almost four feet, but her tousled, dirty blond hair was short, almost as short as a boy's. As she played with her pack, she had given it an exuberant throw and it had landed several feet away from her. That was when one of the planet's native rabbilis decided to run ahead, pick up the pack, and scurry up the tree as if its intent was to taunt the young girl.

Now Samus had been standing in the same spot for almost ten minutes, fruitlessly leaping up into the air at the tree branch feet above her head. She was so fixated on retrieving her pack from the fuzzy creature that she didn't notice the ground rumbling beneath her. She ignored it and continued in her pointless quest to take back what was rightfully hers. It would all be for naught; the rabbilis wasn't budging.

She was about to call it quits with one of the words that daddy liked to say when he was angry, but before she could accomplish even that, the crashing of the brush nearby caused her to turn her head.

"Samus!" her friend Ramon cried as he stumbled through a bush, his sister Eliza behind him. "There you are! What are you doing here?"

Ramon was a pudgy little boy, two years older than Samus, but Eliza had been luckier with the genetic draw with a slightly skinnier form. She was Samus' age, three years old, and perhaps the closest friend that she knew on the planet.

"Stupid rabbilis took my pack," Samus pouted as she pointed at the offending creature above. "I had a snack in there too."

"Aw, that sucks," Eliza frowned, but her features quickly lit up. "But listen! A new ship just came in five minutes ago! Didn't you feel the ground rumbling?"

"So?" Samus said as she kicked the dirt, sending up dust. "Ships are always coming in. I'm _bored_ of seeing ships, Eliza."

"But this one's different!" Ramon waved his hands wildly. "It's looks weirder than any ship I've ever seen! I even heard some of the adults call it a 'Chozo' ship. I've never heard of a 'Chozo' but it sounds pretty neat!"

Torn, Samus glanced between the rabbilis and the direction of the landing pad. She briefly considered staying and seeing if she could overcome the obstacle of retrieving her pack before her natural curiosity suddenly kicked in and she smiled widely, her deep blue eyes filled with hunger.

After all, it was rare that strangers came to this planet. Why not take a look?

"I'll race you guys there!" she said slyly as she quickly took off down the path, leaving her friends behind. Dumbfounded, they quickly regained their composure and launched themselves into pursuit but it was a useless endeavor. No one could catch her!

* * *

The sleek features of the Chozo craft certainly clashed with the bulbous freighter as it proudly sat next to it on the landing pad. The occupants of the craft were not all that similar to the humans, either.

Quickly disembarking after their landing, two hooded figures now stood before a growing crowd, the atmosphere getting more and tense by the second. Their black robes wrapped around their bodies and obscured their features, but their hands peeked out of the sleeves, revealing long, slender fingers like talons, their nails clawed.

The taller one stood closest to the humans, while the shorter and stockier one remained closer to the ship. The mysterious aura surrounding the figures certainly had an effect on the workers, who seemed to be teetering on the verge of retreating entirely.

One of the humans scratched his head at something the taller figure said and frowned. "I'm sorry, what? You want our _afloraltite?_ You know you don't have to come here to procure it, right? I know that the capital has-"

"It is not wise in our case to go through the regular channels," the taller figure interrupted. Its voice was deep and gravelly but it had a hidden timbre of youthfulness to it. "We are only looking to borrow some of the mineral. At the moment, we have no other places to procure it, not for the substantial quantity we require."

Unconvinced, the human crossed his arms. "Borrowing implies that the afloraltite will be _returned_, you guys. Unless if you plan on using it as a temporary paperweight, then you are probably planning to _consume_ it at some point in time which would render it useless to us. Besides, this really isn't a situation that I should be handling. My boss is on his way now and- oh, here he is."

"What's the problem here?" Rodney said as he quickly slid through the crowd, making his way to the front. He glanced at the two Chozo without any hint of surprise and turned back to his subordinate, still waiting for an answer.

"Chief," the man swallowed, "these two wish to…_procure_ a large quantity of afloraltite. I didn't know if…"

"I'll take it from here, Simon," Rodney gritted as he now stepped up to meet the taller of the Chozo. He eyed the hooded figure for a long moment before he chose to respond. "Are any of you familiar with the Galactic Pact?"

"Which part?" the Chozo said, its features unreadable.

"Concerning the allocation of resources, specifically afloraltite."

The hood dipped in a nod. "That all afloraltite mined on colony worlds is specifically reserved for the vehicles manning the trade routes. Yes, we are aware of the Pact."

"So, I think you can understand our stance when it comes to doling out our reserves to anyone but our client, which in this case happens to be the Federation. Besides, why would the Chozo be desperate for afloraltite?"

"We'd like to think of it as an investment. One that could potentially influence the fate of the galaxy if-"

The noises of children suddenly became louder as three small shapes burst into view. The leader, Samus, glanced behind her and laughed as she confirmed that she was ahead of her friends. She was going to beat them to the landing pad and nothing was going to stop her!

The second-long glance behind her was just enough for her to not fully watch where she was going. As soon as she turned her head back around, Samus only saw flowing black robes before she bounced off with a grunt, knocking herself to the ground.

That hurt, but Samus did not cry. She was tougher than most kids but she suddenly forgot how to speak at all when the shorter of the two hooded figures, the one she had just run into, turned around and looked at her, its hood finally dislodged. Samus felt her face heat up in surprise and she gasped at the face. It was something she had never seen before and her initial reaction was to freeze up in shock.

The Chozo resembled a large bird, very similar to an owl in facial structure. It had a large, squat beak, its face sagged, ruffled with feathers, and its eyes glowed a warm gold. After Samus had gotten over the initial shock, she found the alien to have a rather kindly face and it suddenly was not so scary anymore.

Rodney, having witnessed the whole thing, stepped forward in alarm. "Samus? What are you doing here? You know you're not supposed to be around the landing pad!"

But the Chozo crouched down towards Samus and extended an arm from its endless sleeves. The robe parted a bit and Samus could see that the Chozo's other hand was wrapped around a thick walking stick. Cautiously, Samus took the offered hand and the Chozo helped her back to her feet. The alien's hand was warm, dry, and felt like velvet.

"Are you hurt, little one?" the Chozo asked. It had a very calm, soothing voice, and Samus could tell from its tone that it was old. Quite old.

"N-No…" Samus stammered, still rather embarrassed. She could still see her father's anguished face in the background, but her natural interest in the Chozo kept her rooted to her current spot.

"Ah," the Chozo nodded, noting Samus' stiff posture. "This must be your first time meeting a Chozo, is it not?"

Samus nodded dumbly, still a little shaken up to the point where she could not form complete sentences.

The Chozo stroked the feathers on its chin thoughtfully, which reminded Samus of a beard. Its beak stretched out in a smile. "There's no need to be afraid, little one. We mean you no harm." Its eye twinkled at her. "That was a nasty tumble you took back there. Are you sure you're not hurt?"

Samus shook her head emphatically. "Nu-uh! That…that was nothing. I've been hurt much worse than that before!" She hated it when people were constantly hovering over her for her safety and her indignation was steadily replacing her nervousness.

"I see," the Chozo nodded, ignoring Rodney's sigh behind him. "You must be exceptionally brave for such a young lady. You may call me 'Old Bird.' Do you want to tell me your name?"

"Sure!" Samus beamed. "I'm…I'm Samus."

"Samus. That's a nice name." The Chozo seemed to look off into space at this moment, as if pondering events far greater in importance than the moment in the present.

"It's _my_ name!" Samus reiterated strongly, which brought the Chozo back down. "Do you want to be my friend, Old Bird?"

"I don't see why not," Old Bird kindly replied. "After all, you are a friendly young lady, Samus."

"Good!" Samus grinned and she suddenly took Old Bird's hand in her two small ones. "Because I need some help. Can you come with me?"

Based on the fact that she was tugging at the Chozo insistently, Old Bird conceded that he did not have much of a choice. "Very well," he theatrically allowed and let Samus lead the way into the woods.

"Wait, Samus!" Rodney cried.

"Old Bird?!" the Chozo's companion also yelled out helplessly.

The child did not listen, but Old Bird turned back before they descended the ramp off of the pad. He was too kind to tear himself from Samus' grip and his expression was one of acceptance. "I do apologize, Gray Voice," he called. "I'm afraid that I'll be busy for a while. You may continue the negotiations without me."

"Without…? B-But wait!" But it was too late, the forest swallowed the two up and the taller Chozo was left remaining with Rodney on the pad. The human swore and scratched at his head irritably while Gray Voice pulled back his hood. He was thinner than Old Bird, his beak was sharper, and his expression was graver.

As the child's father continued to bemoan his luck, Gray Voice found himself somewhat intrigued by the behavior of the young girl. She was a quicker study than he had anticipated but this would only serve to delay him, his curiosity vanishing. And any more delays could not be afforded in this case. He hoped Old Bird would return soon.

* * *

"There he is!" Samus pointed up at the tree branch. Old Bird followed the gestures of the girl and spotted the rabbilis atop the branch, currently gnawing at a tiny knapsack. The furry creature's long ears perked slightly and his bushy tail began to waggle. The rabbilis ran his claws through his thick, white fur and his dark eyes watched Samus' every move.

"I see," Old Bird mused as he glanced up at the rodent. "So, a rabbilis stole your pack, did it?"

"Yes! Can you get him down for me?"

Old Bird chuckled politely. "My dear, my days of climbing trees have been over for quite some time."

"No!" Samus shook her head impatiently. "I mean, aren't you able to fly up there and get it for me?"

"I'm afraid not," Old Bird sighed. "Though we are an avian species, we lost the need for our wings a long time ago."

Samus sat on the ground, enthralled. "I'm sorry…I didn't know. What happened to them?"

"We deliberately bred the trait out of ourselves. Our power of flight was instrumental when we were a warring species but as we matured, we had to find some way to control our misguided impulses. Therefore, we believed that by deliberately grounding ourselves would make us more humble in spirit."

Samus brushed aside a few weeds and looked up at the rabbilis in the tree again. "So I guess we're _both_ stuck down here. I'll probably _never_ get my things back."

"Perhaps not," Old Bird said as he rapped his walking stick down on the ground. "But there are other ways besides force towards achieving your goal. Rabbilis are extraordinarily perceptive creatures and they are very insightful when it comes to problems. Perhaps you are underestimating its intelligence, Samus."

"I don't see how this will help me," Samus pouted.

"Try not to think of the creature as just a pest," Old Bird encouraged. "Instead, try to think of it as something more intelligent and on the same cognitive level as you. Maybe the poor thing is simply scared by your actions and refuses to come down because he thinks that you're angry with him."

"So how can I show him that I mean him no harm?"

"Why not give him a name? Call him by whatever you wish and he will respond. Now, what do you think a good name would be for this little fellow?"

"A name…" Samus wondered and shut her eyes in concentration. Her tiny brow furrowed and she delved deep into her mind, searching through her favorite stories for a name that stuck out to her, something that would be worthy to dub such an elusive and annoying, but also smart creature.

"How about…Pyonchi?" Samus offered, smiling as the name from a movie she liked jutted out to her, seemingly blazing in bright letters as a sign of its importance.

"Pyonchi…" Old Bird tested the name on his tongue before he nodded. "That is a fine name for a fine creature. Go on, Samus. See if he responds!"

Samus slapped the top of her legs gently and smiled at the rabbilis high above. "Come here, Pyonchi! Don't be afraid! I just want to play, that's all!"

The rabbilis squeaked once and tilted its head. Samus broadened her smile and spread her arms, further reinforcing her kind intentions. The furry creature took the pack gently in his teeth and sped on down the trunk and dropped it at Samus' feet.

"Thanks!" Samus whispered, completely beside herself. "Good boy, Pyonchi!"

Pyonchi chittered and then hopped up in the air, straight towards Samus. Instinctively, she held her arms out and caught the rabbilis. The creature was the size of a small cat but he did not weigh that much to Samus. Pyonchi burrowed his head in the crook of Samus neck, nuzzling her and began to emit a quiet purr. An astonished Samus stroked the back of the rodent's neck, finding the white fur to be quite soft to the touch.

"Marvelous work," Old Bird said in admiration. "From both you and Pyonchi. You have a way with living creatures, Samus."

"You helped too, Old Bird!" Samus beamed. "It was easy. I guess Pyonchi wanted a friend as well!"

"I guess so," Old Bird nodded as he shuffled to his feet. "I'm afraid I must head back to discussing matters with your father, Samus. It was wonderful meeting you but we have a very important job to do."

"You're leaving already?" Samus asked, crestfallen. "But we've just started to become good friends."

Old Bird chuckled. "Just because that we've only started to become friends does not mean that we're going to _stop_ being friends, Samus. But I have a feeling that we will meet again before you know it."

Samus smiled and set Pyonchi down to the ground, where he began to playfully climb up her leg. "I would like to happen, Old Bird. Please…come back soon!"

The aged Chozo gave her a solemn nod. "As soon as I can, little one." His legs seemingly heavier than usual, he turned around and followed the trail out of the woods.

He did not look back, because he was afraid that he might stay longer if he did.

* * *

Gray Voice was waiting at the foot of the ship, well away from the colonists and Old Bird knew that the negotiations had broken down, purely by the younger Chozo's withered stance. It was not like his presence would have helped matters much. From the first sentence out of the crew chief's mouth, it was apparent that their visit to K-2L had gone just as well as the last few excursions to the other afloraltite mines across the galaxy: pointless.

"No luck?" Old Bird asked as he took his place in the copilot chair.

"Same as last time," Gray Voice muttered as he adjusted his seat at the helm. "They were politer than the last few colonists as they repeatedly voiced their respect for us but they refused to lend us the quantity of afloraltite that we need. They were even unwilling to part with a handful of the mineral."

"Well, the humans did have a point," Old Bird conceded. "And the fact that they are so devoted to the Federation's wishes at allocating all of their resources for the trade routes means that they are quite serious about their work. I might just have to drop their chairman a good word at their services for how professionally they handled the matter."

"That still doesn't change the fact that we still do not have enough energy to initiate the plan," the younger Chozo scowled. "Afloraltite is the only substance out there that can awaken Metroid and we have made no headway into its development in months."

The colony tower had cleared the ship for departure by now and Gray Voice flicked all the necessary switches without so much as hesitating. Behind him, Old Bird shuffled in his seat, his gold eyes deep in thought.

"We might need to consider alternate options if Metroid will not work out. The more time we waste, the more time the X parasite multiplies. If we wait too long, it will overwhelm the entire galaxy."

"There is no other way," Gray Voice sighed. "Metroid is our only hope. We need to activate it before the Federation learns about this pandemic."

Old Bird leaned back and sighed while he gazed at the transparent canopy above them. The colony planet steadily shrank behind them, casting them into more and more darkness, with only the light of the stars piercing the blackness beyond. "No other way, Gray Voice? I sincerely hope that you're wrong. There's always another way."

* * *

The small Chozo ship sailed through space, making its way to the appropriate jump point at a certain distance beyond the majority of K-2L's gravity. Unequipped with sophisticated sensors, it was blind to the danger that lurked in the shadows, a great sweeping form that glided through the void.

The ship was massive, easily a kilometer long, flanked by several squadrons of fighters. Spires protruded from the undercarriage of the ship like claws and its long design made it appear as if it possessed wings.

The crustacean-like plantigrade creatures that resided inside the battleship worked dutifully at their stations. The nature of their exoskeletons made them vaguely similar to arthropods in a sense. Their eyes blazed a dull orange, their spines were rigid and frilled, and their "hands" were merely claws, although they had the ability to project balls of plasma from them, a result of their body physiology.

These creatures had an official name, but their engrained nature of pillaging and warmongering combined with their penchant for constantly renaming themselves on whatever conquered worlds they possessed always made the biologists of the galaxy grimace in frustration. In truth, it was much easier to call them "Space Pirates" as the term encompassed the entire class of species they fell under. They were an incredibly varied race and many colonies had reported seeing noticeably different types of the same general alien and so the colloquial term, until they could be properly researched, became an official term rather than a lazy nickname.

The language of the Pirates was a guttural mix of clicking and screeching, but the crafty aliens occasionally fit themselves with tiny translators that wrapped seamlessly around their neck, instantly converting their foreign speech into a language that most of the civilized galaxy could understand. It also made intimidation much easier, so it was a much simpler affair to bark out orders to spread fear throughout their captives.

Fear. It was what Ridley lived off of. Every day he basked in it. From the screams of his prey to the quiet shaking his own subordinates, Ridley specifically perched himself high above the bridge of the battleship so that the workers typing at their consoles below could be aware of his presence. They needed the extra motivation anyway, and Ridley could feel the terror radiating off of them. It felt good.

The leader of the Space Pirates looked nothing like the bipedal aliens that performed his bidding, strangely. A gigantic winged beast, the general embodied the shape of a skeletal dragon, for there was nary an ounce of fat on his enormous body. His legs were muscular, the cords bulging. His arms were slender and rigid. His tail was ridged and the tip deadly sharp. His head was long and thin, very much like one of the ancient species that had roamed the human planet eons before, with a long, thin mouth containing nothing but sharp teeth.

Ridley tracked the movement of the Chozo ship with his head, carefully watching it until it blipped forward into a hyperjump. He tapped his talons on his perch and stared back at the planet slowly filling the bridge with its glow.

"Chozo…" he growled to himself, the sound a cacophony of nails on a rough surface. "Why would they come to _this_ planet?" He peered down at the two rows of technicians before barking out, "Navigation, report!"

"M- My lord," a Pirate stammered. "We've tracked the ship's origin and pinpointed it to a Federation mining colony in the northern hemisphere."

"A Federation colony does not warrant the attention of the Chozo unless they have something worthwhile," the enormous dragon said. "What is the resource in question that they are mining?"

"A high energy surge is being detected from the colony. Sir, it appears to be afloraltite."

"Ahhh!" Ridley sighed. "Perfect! Those sneaky birds thought they might be able to scrounge up some of those minerals, did they?" He spread his wings and beat them once, rushing the air around inside the cramped bridge. "This is something that could be useful to us, and it's been too long since we've seen any real action. Communications, jam their transmissions! I don't want any signals escaping from the surface!"

"Sir," one of the Pirates protested, "if we attack the colony, we will gain the attention of the Federation and they will send their fleet after us. Perhaps we should pass-"

The officer never got to finish his sentence because Ridley swooped down from his perch and opened his jaw wide. The hapless Pirate was picked up in the row of teeth and never had a chance to cry out because Ridley clamped his jaw down hard and bit the alien in half. The rest of the command crew sat in a daze as Ridley spat the two halves onto the deck, letting the blood ooze all over the floor. His face stained, Ridley drew himself up taller and reveled in the sight of his terrified lieutenants.

"We are going down to that planet," he growled, "and we are burning it to the ground!"

* * *

Michael pushed the transmit button for the third time, now starting to become annoyed. He sat on the bridge of the freighter and the look shared by his copilot said the same thing.

"Tower, this is _Beatrix III_, awaiting permission to taxi." No answer. Michael sighed and tapped his fingers on the console, staring at the screen while waiting for a reply. "Tower, read that you copy, over?"

"This is ridiculous," Michael's copilot, John, groaned. "I can _see_ the frigging control tower from the bridge and we still haven't gotten a response! What, did they go to the bathroom or something?"

"You got me," Michael shrugged before he tried the comm again. "Tower…what the hell, guys? It ain't the weekend yet. Does anyone copy?" He supposed that he had the right to be a little terse with this delay. It wasn't like he was going to get a demerit for letting his attitude slip through.

A clomping of boots on the deck caused Michael to spin his chair around just in time to see Rodney rush up onto the bridge, a worried look on his face.

"Guys," Rodney said, "what are you doing? We've given you your clearance fifteen minutes ago. Why haven't you taken off yet?"

"What?" Michael blinked. "We've been trying to _obtain_ clearance from the tower for the last fifteen minutes, chief. We thought your comms were busted or some crap like that."

"No, they're working fine. Any chance it's your end that's faulty?"

"Readouts look fine," John motioned towards the screen, as if inviting Rodney to come over and take a look. "Well, the radio readouts, anyway. We've been having problems with our infrared and electron sensors but I don't think that's related to our communication troubles. Sunspot activity today, maybe?"

"Wasn't forecasted," Rodney said grimly as he leaned over John's shoulder. "What was that you were saying about your sensor issues?"

"Just slight bugs, nothing more," John scratched at his face. "It's been contrasting the intensities of the energy sources on the planet. On the map, you can see here that the power facility, the site of the most thermal activity, is a little bit brighter than normal, but the surrounding area is a little bit darker than normal. It's probably a calibration error, sir, and we'll get it checked when we're in dry dock…"

Rodney's hand shot forward so fast that John barely noticed the switch he depressed until the klaxons began to wail. Immediately, the chief was shutting down the craft's power and began barking orders to everyone on the bridge. "Sound the general alarm! Begin an emergency transmission! Cut all power to the area and contact all personnel!"

"Chief!" Michael stood up, aghast. "What the hell is it?"

"The Space Pirates are coming, Michael," Rodney said, already looking weary. "Their targeting beams are locked on the colony which has been causing the infrared fluctuations. They're coming for the afloraltite."

"Lord Almighty," Michael gasped as he clutched his armrest.

"Exactly," Rodney nodded. "We need to abandon ship right away, before the Pirates-"

A distant explosion cut through the rest of Rodney's sentence and the entire ship lurched as a shockwave from the blast bowled through it, knocking everyone off their feet. As Rodney got to his feet, he could already hear screaming.

* * *

Samus broke off a piece of her food bar and tossed it to Pyonchi, who easily caught it in the air. The little girl was enthralled with the rabbilis and in no time had bonded with the creature. The sunlight streamed down into the clearing where the two were playing and Samus laughed as Pyonchi began to climb up her leg, seeking more food.

"Pyonchi," Samus giggled. "That tickles…"

She broke off her laughter as a muted sound thumped the ground, seemingly miles away. Nervous, Samus held Pyonchi close and looked in the direction of the noise. The clearing was on a slight slope and from here Samus had a view of the entire colony.

Tiny black shapes appeared to be buzzing around the landing pad, but she couldn't make out what those shapes were. Sharp cracks echoed over the trees, distantly reminding Samus of gunfire. She prickled, already beginning to inch back when she saw a mushroom cloud rise gently above the treeline, a puff of smoke wafting into the air. It looked like it was coming from the power station, actually.

Before she could react, the shockwave and noise bowled her over like a blade of grass. The noise was deafening and Samus could only hear ringing in her ears. Leaves flew at her like razors and Pyonchi squealed. Samus clutched the rabbilis to her chest and screamed as the wind tore at her body, slashing her with its deadly intent.

* * *

High above, Ridley circled the detonation site from which the power plant had existed mere moments before. He tucked his wings and hurled straight through the smoke only to come out the other side to view the destructions his minions were causing. Fighters flew through the air, cutting the humans' air support to ribbons. Bombers decimated the ground, obliterating any signs of life. And Ridley was completely enveloped in it all.

With the power plant gone, all outbound communications were now permanently cut. It would be disarray for the colony from here on out. No help could come for them in time. At least, not until his forces had cleaned house.

Ridley swooped low over the trees, opening his mouth to let loose a pillar of fire from his gut, scorching the tips of the branches. He beat his wings once and crested a hill, surprising an anti-air encampment on the summit. With a grin, Ridley spat flame and roasted the equipment to a cinder. The screams of pain from the burning human was music to Ridley's ears and he cherished being able to throw himself into wholesale slaughter once more.

Down below, Ridley could see several Pirates rush into the lone human freighter on the ground to remove several crates of afloraltite, stowing it on board a shuttle of their own. Ridley nodded and steered himself away from the area. Afloraltite was an incredibly combustible material and even a single spark could ignite it, producing a fireball the size of a small city from the amount of raw minerals stowed in those crates. The looting had begun.

A few member of the colonial militia had escaped the barracks, where Ridley's men were laying waste to the majority of the colony's forces. The Space Pirates hurled themselves into the melee, tearing the humans apart with their plasma cannons and bare claws. The stench of ozone and blood filled the air, as well as the cries of the dying. The escaping humans halted in their tracks as Ridley cornered them, and he chuckled while he fried the pathetic humans to ashes with his flames.

Ridley roared in victory and beat his wings, sending up spirals of dirt and grit before he gently landed himself on the ground. His troops certainly were enjoying themselves. Death and destruction were on the stand and Ridley himself was the conductor. He swiped his long tail and bisected a human who had traversed too close to him. The dragon only felt a tiny vibration from the simple act but the human must have been enveloped in so much pain because he was still alive as his top half twitched on the floor of the landing pad, even as his guts were sliding out. Ridley stomped a foot on the human's head to silence his wails and shook the brains off of his limb. Disgusting creatures, humans.

From where he was sitting, Ridley could observe that the Pirates robbing the freighter had finished, the transport already gaining altitude toward the battleship. A squadron of fighters flanked the transport, intent on protecting the potentially dangerous cargo. Ridley's eyes narrowed. _Good. We have what we came for._

The dragon's sensitive ears picked up a slight sound of shuffling and Ridley tilted his head and saw a tiny object emerge from the billowing dust. The object sniffled and suddenly Samus was revealed to him, holding a furry creature in her arms.

"A human child…" Ridley softly growled, baring his teeth.

Samus clutched Pyonchi tighter, her face streaked with dirt, trails of tears marking the only clean spots. Her clothing was ripped, her hair was ragged, and her knees shook with fright at the demonic monster in front of her.

But she did not run. Even as Ridley leered at her, with the sounds of death echoing around the flat plain, Samus did not flee. This confused Ridley immensely. He snorted, trying to evoke a reaction out of the child, but she only backed up a half-step, teetering on paralytic fright or acceptance of her upcoming fate. Either way, she wouldn't be a satisfactory kill to him and she wasn't an immediate danger. He turned his head back toward the battle, ignoring Samus. _Leave, you foolish human. There is no place for you, especially here._

"W-W-Who…a-are you?" Samus squeaked, looking up at Ridley.

"Go away," Ridley replied gruffly. "You aren't worth my time, human."

But Samus did not comply, choosing instead to take a step _forward_. "I…I…I don't think you're scary at all," she said, mustering her courage.

"You _should_," Ridley growled, fractionally turning his head back in Samus' direction. "I am not here to _help_ you."

"I'm…I'm Samus…" the child quivered, trying very hard not to cry. "Y-You d-d-don't have to do this. What's y-your name?"

Now the dragon rotated his body ninety degrees, spreading his wings out so that he enveloped the sun, his tail doing a macabre dance behind him. "You may call me _Ridley_," he announced dramatically, finally fed up with the child. "For it will be the last thing you will remember before you die!"

Samus did not even know she was screaming as Ridley opened his jaw wide, exposing teeth as sharp as knives, revealing a throat lit by flame. He reared up on his hind legs, about to jettison a boiling payload, when a sharp report echoed around them and Ridley jolted, wincing as tiny spurts of blood burst from his body.

"_What?!_" the dragon roared as he turned in the direction of this new source of discomfort.

"Mama!" Samus cried out as Virginia Aran stepped forward on the pad, aiming a smoking pistol at the winged demon.

"Samus, _run!_" Virginia yelled in horror as she squeezed the trigger of the pistol, the gun rapidly kicking back in her hands.

Ridley threw up an arm to protect his face, feeling only tiny pricks as the bullets barely entered his body. Red blood dripped to the ground and the dragon made a savage noise. Wounds collected on the battlefield were worth more if the one who dealt them was properly disposed of. Action had to be taken _now!_

"Annoying human!" Ridley screamed as a bullet hit close to his eye, splashing hot blood down his face. He lowered himself and inhaled, feeling a burst of warmth surge upward from his gut. "_BURN!_"

Virginia Aran could not have outrun the fireball even if she tried. Knowing that she had done her duty to protect her child, she stood and let the heat envelop her. The last thing she remembered was the smell of smoke and a light flutter of warmth at her face. She calmly wondered if her daughter was fine before there was a loud clap and a burst of light erupted in her face.

In an explosion filled with smoke and flame, Virginia disappeared. When the dust settled all that was left was a crater on the ground, the laughter of Ridley, and the crying of a girl for her dead mother.

Ridley turned his head frantically, trying to track down the source of the child's wails, but the sounds of battle were too close that it was interfering with his hearing. Besides, the child was nowhere in sight. Samus had disappeared into the woods.

* * *

Still gaining altitude, the Pirate ship weaved between the columns of smoke, making for a safe destination away from the crossfire. An inferno raged below, consuming the colony and decimating it to rubble. The raid was entering its final legs: the cleanup, or the period when all resistance had been quelled and all attention was on destroying every last building in sight.

As the Pirates reveled in their destructive streak below, all was quiet above the clouds in the battleship. The stolen afloraltite was tucked away in the lower holds, safe and secure from an outside break-in. A pair of Pirate guards flanked the enormous doors, rather bored with the mundane task when they rather would have been on the planet, participating in all the killing. Some Pirates occasionally went stir-crazy if they had not killed anyone in a period of time and the anticipation knowing that their comrades were doing just that was mentally driving them insane.

This proved to be a good enough distraction for the guards to not initially notice the clattering noise made when Rodney Aran kicked his way out of an afloraltite crate, sticking to the shadows in the bowels of the hold. In his hands, he clutched a welding laser, the only weapon he had time to grab before he stowed himself in one of the crates. As a weapon, it was remarkably inferior, but it was all he had at the moment.

By this stage, it was obvious to Rodney that the Federation was not going to get to K-2L in time to stop the Pirates. They had completed their mission of raiding the afloraltite shipment and would most likely make a retreat within the hour. Rodney knew that while he was still breathing, he couldn't let these bastards leave with any afloraltite at all. He had to do something, but what?

At that point in time, two Pirates walked by the tiny crack in the crates, momentarily silhouetting Rodney into darkness. One of them casually looked down the tiny aisle and glimpsed Rodney's scared face staring back. Performing a double take, the Pirate yelled out in alarm and jumped back, its claws extended, ready to unleash a plasma blast.

"Human in the cargo hold!" it yowled as his companion joined him. "I'll kill him right now!"

"No, wait!" the other Pirate screamed, startling the first one. "Don't fire, you imbecile!"

"Why not? He doesn't even have a weapon, you fool. All he has is a puny welding laser."

"And he's pointing it at the afloraltite!" the second Pirate cried out.

Indeed Rodney was, for he had positioned himself that the muzzle of the laser was touching the side of the crate. At this distance, all he had to do was hold down the trigger for a split second before the heat could provide the catalytic reaction. And the Pirates knew this just as well as he did.

"Never thought I'd see the day," Rodney panted. "Two Pirate assholes who can actually think. The galaxy definitely has a sense of humor."

Rodney's thumb quickly moved up and flipped the safety off, ensuring that the laser was ready to be fired. This only served to agitate the Space Pirates more.

"What are you doing, human?! If you fire that laser, you'll die with us too!"

"I know," Rodney gritted as sweat dripped down his face. "But one human for two hundred of your buddies? Those sound like good odds to me." He managed a humorless smile. "Sorry, Virginia."

Silently gloating at the horrified expressions of the Pirates, Rodney clenched his finger on the laser's trigger and was rewarded with a beautiful burst of light.

"_I love you, Samus!"_

* * *

The bright puff of orange at the sky was noticeable from the ground, especially to Ridley, who had just given up on searching for Samus seconds ago. He squinted in the sunlight, trying to determine exactly what was on fire in the atmosphere when the fireball expanded rapidly in moments. A sphere of flame rushed out from the center of the Space Pirate battleship, a void of hell racing out to feed its glowing mouth.

Ridley stayed where he was, dumbfounded that his ship had just exploded, when the afloraltite reaction caught up to him. He dug his claws into the ground, desperate to escape the rapidly approaching wall of fire, but it was too late.

Ridley opened his mouth to scream a curse but the explosion sucked him in, casting him into the broiling blaze. The dragon felt his skin begin to slough off his body before he mercifully blacked out.

* * *

The planet no longer looked like a paradise. Smoke quietly trudged from the shambles of the colony and small fires wilted under the blustering of the wind. All of the nearby trees had been scoured of leaves and everything took on a brown and black color. The place was a wasteland now.

Old Bird and Grey Voice cautiously trudged around the charred landing pad, their footprints leaving imprints in the ash. The held the front of their robes over their beaks to protect them from the smoke and their eyes began to tear up from all of the particulates in the air.

"I never imagined it would be this bad," Gray Voice whispered in astonishment. "It looks like the Pirates set off a bomb here."

"They might as well have," Old Bird replied grimly. "This was the result of an afloraltite explosion. Whether on purpose or by accident is a moot point at the moment. Everything is…_gone_, now." The Chozo took in a big breath and let out an equally big sigh. "This is terrible."

"And the Federation still haven't sent in a response force yet," Gray Voice muttered in disgust as he scanned the sky. "And they'll soon realize that they will be too late when they find out that no survivors have been left standing."

"If the afloraltite hadn't ignited," Old Bird wilted, "we could have saved some people. These humans didn't deserve this. It's sheer cruelty what the Pirates have done to them."

"They are an inherently cruel race. They are savages that threaten the entire galaxy. The X are a fleeting memory compared to them!"

"The X have yet to reach the terminus of their development, while the Pirates have already reached that step," Old Bird said. "A major threat presents itself in plain view while a greater one lurks in the shadows. We can only hope that the Space Pirates will be dealt with in due time so as not to delay our work any further." The wizened Chozo sighed and gestured to his taller companion. "Come, Gray Voice. Let us leave this forsaken planet and-"

The scratching sound on a stone surface caused both of the Chozo to whirl towards the noise. Old Bird squinted and desperately tried to spot the origin, but found that he didn't have to look very far. In the distance, the sun silhouetted a tiny figure, one holding a small, furry creature. The figure took a pained step forward and its tiny voice choked out sobs intermittently.

"I…I don't believe it…" Old Bird gasped before he suddenly broke out at a run, throwing his walking stick to the side. Gray Voice blinked and followed, barely able to keep up with his mentor.

Completely exhausted, the figure fell to her knees and the rodent she clutched to her chest chirped in alarm. Struggling to see past the glare, she saw two blurry shapes hurry towards her, seemingly gliding over the rubble to make their way to her.

"Ma…ma?" Samus croaked before she finally keeled over in a faint.

* * *

_**A/N: Hopefully this first chapter should give you an idea of what I'm planning to do with this. I hope the altered and additional dialogue fits in well with the established universe.**_

_**In any case, read and review so that you can let me know what's what in this story. I appreciate all constructive feedback.**_

_**It's going to be a pleasure residing here.**_


	2. Chapter 2: Destiny

Zebes, the second planet from the sun FS-176, was most definitely a harsher world than K-2L. Cracked and dry, the Chozo homeworld was a golden speck far away from the little colony, but a safe haven nonetheless. Canyons miles deep cut through the ground, cliffs furrowing along all sides. Arid deserts blew sand through the gorges and pillars of stone naturally formed up through the wasteland.

Near an immense stone structure, the Chozo shuttle touched down on a dust-strewn landing pad and the two occupants quickly departed. Gray Voice ran over to the greeting party that formed at the entrance to the building while Old Bird carefully held the tiny Samus in his arms, Pyonchi running at his heels.

A healer broke from the group and quickly rushed up to Old Bird. The old Chozo sighed in relief as he passed the child over to the medic. "Treat this little one quickly!" he commanded. "She is suffering from severe dehydration and burns."

"A few lacerations too," the medic added as he observed the cuts on Samus' face. "We'll put her in a neutral stasis tank right away."

The other Chozo turned to go, but not before Samus coughed, "Old Bird…"

"Shhh, little one," Old Bird shushed, his kindly face hovering above her. "Don't try to talk. We're going to help you now."

"M-My…mama…" the girl whispered, tears forming at her eyes again.

Old Bird shut his eyes regretfully. "I'm so sorry, Samus." He didn't need to say anything else to assuage her. The child was perceptive enough to know what had happened to her parents, but now that last hope, that final lingering spark, had been firmly extinguished.

"We have to move _now_, Old Bird," the medic urged, shifting from one foot to the next as Samus began to cry in his arms.

"Yes, of course," the Chozo nodded. "Do as you must. Just help her."

As he watched tiny Samus get taken away into the towering structure, Old Bird, followed by Gray Voice, slowly trudged up the dusty steps and into the facility. The blue hatch closed and locked behind them, keeping the warm temperature of Zebes out while allowing the occupants to remain cool in the dry air of the temple.

As Old Bird retired to a nearby bench, Gray Voice scowled as he brushed off the dust from his robes. "Why did you do it, Old Bird?" he asked insistently.

Groaning, the elderly Chozo adjusted himself on the bench and tapped the ground firmly with his walking stick. "I'm afraid that you're going to have to be a bit more specific, Gray Voice."

The younger Chozo blanched before he spoke again. "Why did you bring the child with us? Why is she here, on Zebes?"

Old Bird frowned and he leaned forward, wrapping both hands around the end of his stick. "Am I correct in assuming that you would rather have left her back on that torched world to die? Is that what you are suggesting to me?"

"Of course not!" Gray Voice exclaimed, aghast. "It's just that…why did we bring her to Zebes when we could have brought the girl to a Federation controlled world? A place with…her own kind. Zebes isn't a safe place for humans, Old Bird. The planet's environment is not suitable for any other species. She is only going to die if you keep her here."

"And she would have died if we had dropped her off at the nearest Federation world anyway. She would most likely have to relive another invasion from the Pirates, or she would have been shuttled off to an orphanage, where she would waste away in grief. The girl is _strong_, Gray Voice, and we have the capability to nurture her. There is something about her that is unique, I can't quite express it. She's not like any other human. She has the will to live as well as the heart of a warrior."

"Warrior or not," Gray Voice sighed, "she is still too vulnerable to adapt to Zebes' environment properly. The weather, the wildlife, all are deadly to humans, especially a child like her."

"Gray Voice does indeed have valid points," a harsh electronic tone warbled from above. Both Chozo looked up to see a silver sphere, no bigger than their heads, hover down from a nearby duct to their eye level. The metal comprising the sphere was a flat gray, shining only from the skylight above, but in the middle was a black lens with a vertical lid that mimicked the appearance of an artificial eye. "The safest areas of Zebes that can be available to the child are only Brinstar and Crateria. Even then, those sectors possess significant dangers to the human. Naturally occurring acid pools, aggressive animal behaviors, magma conduits, and acid rain are all causes for concern. In its current state, the human's movements will have to be heavily restricted and monitored."

"_Mother Brain_," Old Bird acknowledged gravely.

"The current situation is unfavorable for her survival," the sphere continued, "and her young age will only increase the risk that she will be in danger. She is too weak to remain here."

Mother Brain, usually referred to as Mother for short, was a meld of organic and cybernetic components that formed one of the most advanced artificial intelligences in the galaxy. An overseer of sorts, Mother's mainframe was housed in the Tourian sector and "she" was essentially connected to the entire planet. A Chozo creation, Mother was an invaluable part of facilitating her creators and their wishes, becoming a significant entity that strived for knowledge eternally.

Old Bird never really had much trust reserved for Mother. He had always been put off by the intelligence's cold, calculating attitude and its tendency to be blunt when offering alternatives to complicated problems as if her creators themselves were children. Deep down, he knew that Mother was significantly more intelligent than all of the Chozo combined but he had hoped that it would drop its condescending tone soon, otherwise he would have to be fearful of how much knowledge that the intelligence had actually gained. Still, the intelligence had proved to be an invaluable asset for years and only served with the interests of the Chozo collective in mind. Perhaps he still had a certain resistance to change engrained in his mind.

"And is that your official opinion, Mother?" Old Bird glared.

"Unquestionably. Her small stature and wounds will only hamper her survival. I predict that it will only be a matter of days until she expires-"

"Enough!" Old Bird barked, causing the monitor drone to jump back a foot. "You may see Samus as weak, Mother, but I see something far greater within."

"With respect, Old Bird," Mother intoned, "the damage the child has sustained…"

"…is only cosmetic," Old Bird finished. "Samus is young, but she will grow stronger here. Our choices have been made, Mother. Samus has to stay here, under our tutelage because she has nowhere else to go. She is our responsibility now and that means that _you_ are also responsible for her well-being. Just like you are responsible for looking after all of _us_."

The logic hung in the air for a few seconds but the words only took a few nanoseconds for Mother to process. The unsaid commands were sound and, encased in her biomechanical form, a new line of code was written to encompass Samus under the care of Mother, created in the heat of the moment. It only took but a fleeting moment to route all central commands and link them to this particular line of code she now lumped with her prime directives. She would be duty bound to the child, just like the Chozo from here on out.

"Very well," Mother said smoothly, her monitor hovering back down to emulate thought. "If there is no other alternative, then the child shall remain here. But there is still the issue of her acclimation to the new planet. She may now live here, but the conditions as previously stated are too unforgiving for her to handle. However, there is a solution. I would recommend that she undergo a biotic evolution in order to maintain her survival. It would be the only way for her to live here."

"A biotic evolution?" Gray Voice whispered. "Is that even a safe procedure to use on humans? Especially one so young?"

"There is no other choice," Mother said forcefully. "The child must adapt or die to the changes presented. If she does not undergo to evolutionary procedure, then she will perish within a week. Altering her biologic makeup is the only way that her survival will be guaranteed."

"Then we will do it," Old Bird nodded. "Relay to the medics that Samus will be held in stasis for an extended period of time."

"Already done, Old Bird."

Gray Voice glanced from the other Chozo to the silver sphere, flustered by all of the information presented in such a short time. "Wait…hold on a second! We're talking about altering a human _child_ here! Do any of you think that this will be a change that she would want to let happen? What right do we have to force this on her?"

"We are her guardians now, Gray Voice," Old Bird said regretfully. "We are doing this for her well-being. Samus will understand the sacrifices that we had to make so that she could still remain alive. She would know that we did it to save her."

"Sacrifices? Samus will no longer be a _human_ anymore after this procedure! She will be a hybrid…a freak! An outcast among her kind! Do you really think she will be able to put herself in our place and justify making such a choice?"

Now Mother floated closer to Gray Voice. "Outwardly, the child will resemble a human. The only changes will be internal, out of sight. Her humanity will be lost, yes, but in spirit only. The _Chozo_ blood that will flow through her veins will ensure that she will be able to adapt to the comparatively harsh environment of Zebes. It will grant her abilities beyond the capabilities of a regular human. The ends _will_ justify the means."

The Chozo faltered for a moment. "_A-Abilities?_ Just what exactly are we talking about here? I thought we were talking about a simple transplant, now you're bringing up _genetic mutations?_"

"Calm down, Gray Voice," Mother said smoothly. "As stated previously, the child will not be physically different. Rather, her body systems will react to the Chozo DNA implemented into her by adjusting themselves organically. It is likely that she will exhibit enhanced strength and agility due to the inclination of the Chozo being used to a heavier gravity than humans, although species specific traits such as your 'mental guard' which prohibits violent actions will not be transferred over. Any other changes are speculative at this point in time, but they are merely side effects, not significant risks."

Gray Voice didn't speak but instead lowered his gaze to the ground, obviously frustrated. But the Chozo kept silent. Old Bird gave another grave nod and turned to Mother, who shuttered the monitor's lens in anticipation of a command. "Give the medics the order to take a blood sample from the archives. Tell them to initiate a-"

"_No_," Gray Voice spoke softly, his eyes shut for a moment. Old Bird and Mother looked at him expectedly, waiting for an explanation. Gray Voice breathed out before he straightened himself, a determined look in his eye. "No," he reiterated. "You and I both know that a fresh DNA sample has a less probability of rejection due to the slight decay of the chromosomes. The blood in the archives is no good to Samus and Old Bird, frankly, you're too elderly to donate such a significant amount to the child."

Old Bird eyed him thoughtfully. "And what are you suggesting?"

Gray Voice ruffled his robes. "Use _my_ blood. Give it to Samus."

"Hmm," Old Bird mused. "Mother?"

"One moment. Obtaining samples from historical records," the intelligence offered. "Analysis complete. Gray Voice and Samus share a 38% similarity in chromosome structures, more than adequate for plasma transfer. Less genetic sequencing can be utilized which can eliminate greater numbers of junk nucleotides and result in a more seamless match for the human. Despite the differences in nucleobases, the child should be able to take the offering."

"Excellent," Old Bird said with a knowing glance at the determined Gray Voice. "We shall proceed immediately with the evolutionary process." He and Gray Voice turned to leave before Old Bird stopped, one last thing on his mind. "Oh, and Mother?"

"Yes, Old Bird?"

"Samus may be able to adapt to the environment, but the varied species around here will still take aggression to her. It would be prudent to see that she will have some means of defending herself in the near future."

"I will begin preparations at once."

"Thank you. We are not going to squander her chances for a life anytime soon. Her training begins _now_."

* * *

11 Years Later

An explosion rocked the Zebesian gorge, creating a miniature landslide of small boulders down to the valley floor. Gray Voice resisted the urge to cover his face out of embarrassment and Old Bird simply sat on top of the amphitheater wall, his face expressionless.

"It's only her second day with the drones," Old Bird defended as he saw the look on Gray Voice's face. "Surely you can expect her skills to not be completely developed?" Next to the old Chozo, Pyonchi chittered helpfully, but his stance was noticeably more wary than usual.

"Yeah, maybe," Gray Voice grunted, "but the test just started and her first shot looked like it was a mile above the target. Look, even now she's freezing up." He pointed down at the lone figure that stood against five walking riot units, the mechanical movements of the robots slow and clunky. Standing a meter and a half tall, the squat machines looked akin to a walking riot shield, hence the nickname. The stubby legs of the units meant that they could move slowly but they were also quite hardy in terms of punishment they could take. Easy targets for a beginner, in theoy.

"Perhaps she's still trying to figure out how to operate the suit?" Old Bird suggested.

"She's had the damn thing for a month now. I don't understand how…" Trailing off, Gray Voice sighed explosively before he yelled, "_Fire_, Samus! Don't just stand there while the enemy is advancing! Fire!"

One of the riot units stopped in place before the flamethrower on its head ignited. Producing a long gout of flame, the attack raced toward the armored person standing feet away at point-blank range. The warrior stutter stepped, as if they were unsure about what to do before they finally dived to the right. However, they were too slow on the uptake and the flames licked at the side of the armor, causing the occupant to grunt in discomfort.

The suit itself was a bright yellow, with a red chest plate and helmet. The visor of the helmet was blue, in a slight V shape. The suit wrapped around the occupant, its curves smooth yet angular in some places, a foreign shape. It completely covered every inch of the person inside and it did not make a sound when it moved, aside from the heavy footfalls as the boots embedded themselves in the dirt. But perhaps the suit's most notable feature was the attachment fastened from the right elbow down. Whereas the left arm looked like a normal gauntleted arm, the right one was significantly longer from the bulky arm cannon. Capable of firing bolts of focused energy, the arm cannon looked rather awkward on the suit of armor but the power it wielded more than made up for the lack of continuous fluidity.

The suit itself had a biologic connection to its host, which meant that it was augmented by the person's actions. Instead of being a hindrance to movement, it amplified speed and power immensely. However, this also meant that the occupant could feel a small amount of pain when it registered damage, an unforeseeable outcome that arose during development. But it was helpful in the fact that the user would definitely detect any hits, thereby causing an endorphin reaction to evade the pain.

Right now, Samus was still smarting from the blow she had taken from the riot unit. A display on top of her helmet told her that the suit's current energy levels had dipped to 85. She had remembered that Gray Voice told her to not let the levels drop to 0 otherwise the suit would fail, leaving her exposed.

Gray Voice crossed his arms as he sourly watched the spectacle. "The enemy is advancing and she's still lying on the ground."

"Give her time," Old Bird admonished.

Samus tried to sit herself up with her right arm, but she had forgotten that the arm cannon blocked the way of her hand. Awkwardly trying to get to her feet, she pushed off but the cannon slipped on the gravelly ground and she fell down on her chest. As she impacted, her right fist clenched and a ball of bright energy erupted from the arm cannon and sheared through a pillar carved a quarter of a mile away. Samus sat dumbstruck as she watched the structure slowly fall to the ground, the shattered pillar sending a cloud of dust up with a poof. But her distraction had been a costly mistake and when she finally got her bearings back, Samus found herself surrounded by the riot units.

"All right," Gray Voice scowled. "That's it. I'm canceling the test." He touched a control on his arm and the riot units several feet below slumped, their power cut. The two Chozo began to make their way down the steps while Samus panted on the ground.

With a flash of light, Samus was enveloped in a glowing outline for a split second before it abruptly faded, the armor shed off of the teenage girl. The Power Suit's energy-to-matter reaction gave it the ability to appear and disappear on the user, able to be called into place by the user's mental connection. The very thought of shedding the suit, or from the instant when the user's thoughts were distracted, the Power Suit would dissipate and expose the wearer.

For Samus, the whole thing had proved to be nothing but trouble.

Pyonchi ran up to Samus and nuzzled her leg, imparting his attention on her. The girl had grown significantly taller in the past eleven years. Standing almost six feet tall, the human had changed quite a bit, her short hair now longer, blond and brown streaked with a pair of locks beginning to drape down the sides of her face. Samus sighed in frustration as she scratched the head of the rabbilis, blinking her ice-blue eyes. Her head ached something fierce, her clothes clung to her body, and she craved a drink, at least something to wash out the bitter disappointment radiating from her.

Samus sighed out loud. She was still getting used to the suit, but now it felt like she had to relearn everything she had ever trained for. All of her marksmanship practices, her drone sparring, and physical training was all out of balance in the suit. It was not weighing her down but it was significantly bulkier than her muscular frame that she was still overcompensating with her movements, almost exaggerating them to a comedic level.

With a whirring noise, Samus gave a flat look at Mother's monitor as it floated down, presumably to berate her. "Your motions inside the Power Suit appear to be restricted somewhat," the intelligence said bluntly. "It may be that you are trying too hard to form a neural connection with it. Perhaps you should stop anticipating the suit's actions and let yourself do all the movement, causing the suit to react to your reflex thoughts."

Samus made a face at the same time she gave a half-hearted swipe at the spherical drone. Mother scooted upward to avoid the blow and Samus scowled. "_You're_ not the one wearing the damn thing, Mother. I'd like to see _you_ put this thing on and not walk around like an oaf."

"Your sarcasm is noted," Mother droned in annoyance, "and I will not indulge you by trying to warp the logic from your statement. I'll let others take it from here, then."

As Mother flew off, Samus looked over to see Gray Voice, Old Bird behind him, walk up to her. Gray looked just as disappointed as her but Old Bird still let his face remain neutral. Samus sighed, already knowing that she would be subject to a lecture. With Gray Voice, it was always about lectures, always about her destiny.

"Samus…" the Chozo began, "…are you feeling all right?"

"I think you know the answer to that question," Samus huffed, wishing that the Chozo would get on with it.

Gray Voice flinched slightly at her tone but soon settled himself. "I'm only asking because you seem…distracted. I know that you and Mother share some animosity, but she does make some valid points with the-"

"-with the suit?" Samus finished. "Yeah, I know, Gray. But with Mother, she could work on softening the blow somewhat, right? I mean, it's only been my second trial with the thing but she acts like I just failed a crucial test."

"Mother is only relaying our highest expectations, Samus," Gray Voice said gently. "The Power Suit is an extraordinary tool that she created for your use. But, in order for you to reach your potential, you need to master the suit as though as if it is an extension of your own body. You need to focus your mind through the suit so that you and your motions will move together as one."

"I _know_, Gray," Samus said again, more bitterly this time. "I know that I have a duty, that you've been training me to be a Protector, but I don't see how my lack of progress so early is any indication that I'm a failure!"

Samus wished that Old Bird would say something, that the wizened Chozo would come to her defense, but he merely stayed silent. Pyonchi began pawing at her jaw and Gray Voice sighed at the girl's petulance.

"Samus, we are running short on time. Every moment we waste only hastens calamity on the galaxy. We have a responsibility to ensuring that such an event does not happen, which means that you have to shoulder your part of the burden as well. The Federation cannot save this galaxy, but we _can_. But in order to do that, we have to do things quickly, so that you can become the soldier we've envisioned you to be. Do you think your parents would have wanted anything less for you?"

Samus gave Gray Voice a dark look, the silence obnoxious in the still air. Of course she knew her parents would have wanted her to do this! It was a noble cause, a worthy cause. Every day she relived the last moment she shared with her and many nights she would be scared awake by the laughing of a dragon and her own wailing cry for her mother. What other direction could she go after that? This was what she wanted!

So why was it hard for her to succeed _now?_

"No…" she mumbled, angered that she had been so easily guilted. "They wouldn't have."

Gray Voice nodded, satisfied that he had gotten through to the girl, but as he opened his mouth to comfort her and address his own brusqueness, Samus abruptly shot to her feet and began sprinting out of the canyon.

"What…" Gray gaped. "Samus, come back! You haven't finished your train-"

But it was too late. Samus hopped over a five meter cliff with ease and took off down the slope, Pyonchi hot on her heels. Gray Voice stared, dumbstruck at the place that Samus had just occupied seconds before.

"-ing," he finished before wilting in disgust. "You sure she's ready for this?" he now glanced at Old Bird.

"Absolutely," the elder Chozo nodded. "You saw how her physical strength has improved, how she can run at high bursts of speeds and leap taller than any human. There is no better time for her."

"Her attitude could use some work, though."

"She's young. She'll grow out of her rebellious phase soon enough. Just give her time."

"I am," Gray Voice scowled. "I can assure you that I am."

* * *

Samus had run for what seemed like hours, but she was hardly winded by the time she had chosen to stop. Mainly it was for Pyonchi's sake, who had dutifully followed her the whole way, that she decided to stop running and rest a bit (the rabbilis had actually stopped running long before from exhaustion and Samus simply carried him on her back the rest of the way).

There was a nice little cliff overlooking a field of grass, which looked perfect for her needs. Samus sat down and dangled her feet over the edge, watching the evening sky steadily grow darker as dusk approached. She sighed and Pyonchi chittered in confusion.

"Yeah, yeah," she smiled at the rabbilis, beginning to scratch his head. "We'll go back soon, Pyonchi. I just needed to take a break."

The words seemed to relax Pyonchi and his eyes drooped as he stretched himself out on Samus' lap. But, as she looked down, she noticed that Pyonchi widened his eyes again. Something must have caught his attention.

She turned in place and immediately saw what had gotten the rabbilis all worked up. Floating a couple centimeters off the ground was a pure white creature with a small body but with six wings that made it appear as large as Mother's drone. One long antenna jutted out from its head and its six tiny appendages wiggled as it floated in place.

"Huh," Samus breathed as she watched the creature envelop itself in a ball of white light. It began to rise up where she could see that it was joining more of the pinpricks in the sky. She had to admit, the creatures looked rather cute.

She got to her feet and slowly followed the direction the creatures were headed. She kept her gaze concentrated on the lights in the sky and began to pick up the pace once she saw them descend to the ground again. She jogged to the lip of another cliff and stared in wonder at the sight below.

Samus could only smile as she saw the flock of creatures mingle amongst a sea of white flowers. The petals looked so fragile and the critters were nibbling on them like they were a delicacy. Samus desperately wanted to get down into the valley for a closer look but the cliff face was a bit too high for her to traverse. If she had more time, she would have made a greater effort to explore more.

Feeling better that she had discovered such a calming place for her to relax, Samus was smiling broadly as she walked back to where she was sitting previously. However, she found that her spot was now occupied by one of the white creatures, as it was hovering over the spot, its eyes closed as it rested.

"_Iono Feria_," a dusty voice uttered from behind. Samus spun around in shock but quickly warmed as she saw Old Bird gazing up into the sky. He could always sneak up on her in any way imaginable, despite her keen senses. Pyonchi immediately bounded over to him, wanting more scratches. The Chozo complied and continued to stare at the creatures above. "They absorb what little moisture in the air there is, naturally ionize it, and use the energy to fly. Almost similar to the way insects have a bioluminescent ability, actually."

"I've never seen them before," Samus said, wanting a closer look at the Iono Feria.

"They tend not to go near civilized areas," Old Bird clarified. "They can be quite the pests to our agriculture and they've learned not to come near us. It's unfortunate, for they are quite relaxing creatures."

Samus nodded and slowly trudged over to the rock Old Bird was sitting on. With a sigh, she sat next to the Chozo and stretched out, trying to get comfortable. Both continued to look at the passing Iono Feria for a silent minute, the two sharing the peace together.

"Is Gray still mad at me?" she finally asked, her voice tender.

Old Bird chuckled at that. "No, little one. I believe that he completely understands the position you are in, but he feels he must push you in spite of your hardships. He's always been the one to make you keep going in your studies, after all."

"Yeah," Samus agreed. "He can be hard sometimes, but I know that he's always meant well. Now I feel even worse. I disrespected both of you by running off like that. I should have… I'm sorry, Old Bird. I just want you to know that I'm sorry. And…and I'll apologize to Gray when I see him next, I promise. It's…the suit's caused me more trouble than I thought and I got frustrated. I'm sorry for today. I'm sorry for giving up."

"Apologizing before you were ever prompted, Samus?" Old Bird mischievously replied. "You certainly _are_ maturing."

Samus laughed at that. "I _was_ taught by the best." She flashed a smile at the old Chozo before she sighed. "It's just this 'duty' that I can't seem to get out of my head. I know I'm supposed to do something with my life, but I have no idea of the direction I will head in. It makes me uneasy…distracted."

"It is natural for you to be concerned about the future," Old Bird assuaged. "But it is not something we deliberately wished to instill in you. You are going to have to create your own path one day, Samus. But that must be a choice that you are confident in and that you wish to pursue. We cannot force that unto you, but we _can_ guide you."

"I understand, Old Bird," Samus sighed. "I just would like to know what I'm supposed to _do_."

Old Bird patted the human's back gently, paternally. "You have many years ahead of you, Samus. If you could relay to me a clear course of what you wanted to do and where you wanted to go at your age, I would be completely surprised."

* * *

Zebes – Tourian Sector

One hour later

The conference hall was large enough that the gathered crowd could still find plenty of room to spread out comfortably, but Old Bird still felt cramped. In spite of the fact that there were only ten Chozo in the room, plus him, it had to be the central tank that made him feel uneasy.

Gray Voice sat next to him and Old Bird could spot an old colleague, Platinum Chest, sit next to the central column. The column itself was comprised of a clear zebetite shield and inside it housed a dark form surrounded by a frothy liquid. Spiraled wires extended from the pillar like veins and a smell of ozone emitted from the mechanism's cooling tank. Old Bird didn't need to use his imagination to visualize the biomechanical components that made up Mother's structure from behind the clear shield. This was essentially the heart of the intelligence, what was the true form of Mother: a grotesque combination of artificial and natural processes given form.

The gathered elders had all settled by now and Old Bird glanced up to the faithful drone scouring the airway above. "Mother, would you give us the SR-388 report?" he requested.

"Certainly," the intelligence said, its voice a tad deeper in the cavernous room. "After months of careful adjustments to the facilitation of the project, Metroid's implementation onto SR-388 has finally resulted in a self-sustaining population…three years late."

The Chozo began to grumble at the news. Platinum Chest looked downtrodden and Gray Voice leaned forward in concern.

Seemingly disappointed yet undeterred, Mother continued in her briefing. "Without Chozo guidance, we can expect an appropriate population level in approximately twelve years. That is, at best, an average rate of progression from what was initially calculated."

Cries of annoyance erupted around the chamber and Old Bird rapped his stick against the ground. "Please, please!" he urged. "My friends, we cannot do anything more to help the progression of Metroid. We have wasted too much time trying to cultivate it. We all knew that it was a gamble to try and place our hopes that Metroid would be mature enough to dispose of the X, but it seems that our faith was misplaced. Let us instead not focus on trying to improve the Metroid project even more, but try and cultivate them, encourage their natural progression, so that they will be able to act when they are ready. Our children need all the guidance they can get and it is our duty to foster them along."

The other Chozo nodded sagely, but Mother's drone tilted in a careful expression of confusion. "Old Bird," the intelligence clarified, "are you referring to the Metroids as your 'children?'"

"No," Old Bird shook his head. "I'm referring to both Metroid _and_ Samus, Mother."

"The _human?_" the monitor's shutter clacked in alarm.

"This concerns you?"

"No, Old Bird," Mother said after a moment, but a moment was infinitesimally long for an intelligence of her degree. "No, it does not."

* * *

Gray Voice mulled the topic of the meeting over in his head as he departed Tourian. The progress of Metroid was agonizingly slow and all the effort put into it was practically worthless. His spirits were down and he was a little on edge.

It was true what everyone was saying. Time was not their ally.

He stepped off the lift and walked through the Brinstar archives, passing through rows and rows of databanks, precious knowledge collected over eons. It was all here, everything one could imagine. All of the known data in the galaxy at their fingertips. If the Federation even knew how much they had accumulated, then they would immediately be under scrutiny for possession of such information. As if they needed more problems to begin with.

Gray Voice looked down a row and coincidentally saw Samus at the other end, standing in front of a data console. He arched an eyebrow as he checked his chronometer. He had never known Samus to be particularly studious at night so this kind of behavior was a bit abnormal. Curiosity eating at him, he walked over to find out what she was doing.

He coughed softly to announce his presence. "Samus…"

The human turned, a small smile on her face. "Oh, hello, Gray!"

"Listen," the Chozo began, "about earlier today…I'm sorry I pushed you so hard on the course. It wasn't fair of me to expect so much of you when you were still learning to use the Power Suit and I don't want you to think of me like I'm berating you all the time."

"You don't have to be sorry," the girl assured, which startled Gray Voice. "It was my fault for ending my training so early. If I had stayed, I probably would have improved in mastering the suit."

Gray Voice didn't know what to say as he was quite confused, despite the earnest look on the girl's face. With a laugh, he shook his head. "You're not making _apologizing_ easy for me either, you know."

"I'm sorry for that too," Samus replied with a sheepish grin. "But I just needed time to think over my actions. You were right, Gray. I did need more practice. You're kind of like the protective dad in my life; you can be overbearing but you mean well."

The very mention of the word "dad" caused Gray Voice to stiffen somewhat, but Samus didn't catch it. Rather, he maneuvered around so that he could look at the data console that she was using. "Might I ask what you're looking up, Samus?" he inquired, trying to change the uncomfortable subject.

"I saw this flower in a field about an hour ago," Samus scrunched her face up as she sorted through a few images. "I didn't get a good look at it initially so I wanted to find out more about them."

"A flower, eh? It's rare for Zebes to possess such varied plant life, so I'd bet that the sight was nostalgic for you. What color was it?"

"White. It also had five petals. Could it be…_this?_" she indicated an image and the picture enhanced to full size, the clarity of the flower threatening to burst from the screen.

Gray Voice peered only for a second at the screen before he took a sharp breath. "Samus, are you sure that this is the flower that you saw?"

"Positive, why?"

"Samus," he said gravely, "you didn't _touch_ it, did you?"

"No. Why do you ask, Gray?"

With a shaking finger, Gray Voice pointed at the screen. "That is a badger clover, Samus. It's an invasive species from a distant planet. It's also poisonous."

Samus' eyes widened. With a swallow, she said meekly, "How poisonous?"

"Extremely," Gray Voice said. "One brush of skin on the petals is enough to put someone like you in a coma. You need to show me where you saw this flower, Samus. We need to eradicate it before it potentially grows out of hand."

"Eradicate…you mean…?"

"Destroy," Gray Voice nodded sadly. "I'm sorry, Samus. I understand they must be important to you, but we have to contain-"

"No apologizing," Samus said stiffly. "I understand what you're going to do…and why you're doing it."

"I'm sorry," Gray Voice said again, despite Samus' wishes. "Do you want to stay here while the situation is taken care of? I can take a contingent by myself and-"

"No," Samus interrupted with a sigh. "I _want_ to go. I want to see this for myself."

* * *

The flamethrowers on top of the riot units whooshed, causing flames to wash over every inch of the valley. Standing atop the cliff, Samus, flanked by Old Bird and Gray Voice, watched the scene impassively. Samus rubbed at her arms uncomfortably, finding the heat to be intruding, the columns of smoke stifling. She watched the petals of the clover blacken and turn to ash, quickly becoming roasted in the dry air.

Gray Voice watched Samus hard face, shamed that he had to subject the girl to this. He deeply wished that she had never found that field, so that she could have a happy memory like that extinguished so abruptly. He felt he was only making her detest him more.

"Mother," he spoke out loud through his shut eyes, "can you provide an estimate from where the clovers originated from?"

"An estimation is unnecessary," Mother replied as she hovered from the flame ranks. "Overhead drones have spotted the remains of a frigate hidden by rubble over the next ridge. Decayed bodies have been spotted from the wreckage. They appear to be Space Pirates."

"_What?_" Samus and Gray Voice said at the same time. "What were Space Pirates doing on Zebes?" Samus asked in horror, her heart pounding at the dreaded words.

"A long time ago," Gray Voice sighed, "the influence of the Pirates once stretched here, to Zebes. They made it this far. But only once."

"Only once…" Samus repeated softly, the remnants of an inferno in her mind, not unlike the one raging below her.

"_You may call me Ridley, for it will be the last thing you remember before you die!"_

Samus jumped at her mental demon, but the others did not notice. Gray Voice was already speaking to Mother, trying to analyze the situation further. "Do we have definite proof that the Pirates were responsible for the clovers?"

"Analyzation complete," Mother said. "Clover seeds detected on board Pirate vessel. The remains of the dead still carry traces of alkaloids on them. It appears that they were indeed the source."

"Burn them too," Gray Voice ordered. "Leave no trace of that vessel standing."

"Addendum," Mother blared. "Traces of alkaloid detected on moving signatures five hundred meters southeast. Ten contacts reported."

"Contacts? Elaborate."

"Toxin signatures appear to be mobile in the surrounding area. Carriers of the alkaloids appear to be Iono Feria. It appears that they were inadvertently helping to spread the clovers across the planet."

Gray Voice almost kicked the ground in frustration as he spotted the tiny white creatures skirting the edges of the cliffs beyond. "Damn it all. They must have accidentally been infected from the Pirate ship, but we can't do anything for them now. Order the riot units to concentrate on the Iono Feria, Mother. We need to focus on the mobile carriers before we concentrate on the Pirate vessel. All crews, isolate and exterminate them now!"

Samus froze in place, certain that she had misheard Gray Voice. "You're going to _kill_ the Iono Feria?" she gasped in horror. The very thought that those creatures could be so carelessly thrown away sickened her to her core. Why would something so cute deserve such a horrible fate?

"What would _you_ recommend, Samus?" Gray Voice spun around. "Protection of the ecosystem is the highest priority at the moment and the Iono Feria are the most direct threat to the ecosystem. Cleansing the infected creatures is the most direct solution to the problem at hand."

"The most direct, maybe, but it isn't the _right_ one!" Samus yelled. "You talk about protecting all forms of life to me and yet now you're choosing to take the lives of these Iono Feria without so much as considering your own actions! Did you think that they wanted to be infected? Do you think that they had a choice?"

Gray Voice was silent, his face full of disappointment and Samus knew that she had overstepped her bounds. With a sorrowful sigh, Gray Voice shook his head. "Sometimes, Samus, we have to make choices to protect the people that are important to us. In this case, the choice is made easier by having our sentience on the other side of the equation. One day, you might have to make such a choice, but I pray that the opportunity never comes to you."

"Then what choice _should_ I make in that situation, Gray?" Samus pressed, her eyes starting to fill with tears.

Gray Voice's own eyes were filled with sadness, but were strengthened with steel. "You have to make what you believe is the _right_ choice, Samus. You will know if the time comes, that I promise you."

Without waiting for a reply, Gray Voice walked down the path, closer to the cliff edge as he monitored the status of the riot units. Helpless, Samus clenched her fists as she forlornly watched the Chozo move away from her, furious at her inability to do anything.

On the ground, the riot units were having a tough time dealing with the Iono Feria. The flying creatures constantly skirted out of the way of the flamethrowers, causing the machines to swivel about in frustration, trying to get a bead on a target. Gray Voice grumbled in disgust, watching the units make a hash out the situation as they tried to contain the creatures. Any more time wasted and the Iono Feria would simply fly away to spread the deadly seeds. Somehow, this had to be dealt with now.

A clunking sound drew the Chozo's gaze down a dozen meters to the valley floor. The closest riot unit was spinning around uselessly, trying to scorch one of the Iono Feria. The creature simply looped around the bulky droid, as if it was toying with it. Gray Voice sighed but quickly became alarmed as the machine's legs stumbled on a rock, causing it to start to tip backwards. The flamethrower was still engaged and as the riot unit fell, the long gout flared up into the sky and to the right, directly into the path of Gray Voice.

It had all happened so fast that Gray Voice could only think of throwing up his arm in defense, the thought instantly coming to him that he would not be protected from the fire. As he steeled himself for the blasting heat, something hard impacted with his side and he felt a hard arm wrap around his waist, pulling him away and sending him flying through the sky. With a grunt, he skidded along the ground, dust being kicked up from his movements. When his trajectory finally halted, he looked up and saw a tall figure standing over him, the side of its armor blackened where it had taken the blast for him.

"S-Samus?" Gray Voice gaped, amazed.

"Get somewhere safe, Gray," the girl's voice spoke through the mask, her stance already lowered in a fearsome pose. With a leap, she propelled herself into the air and landed several meters down onto the valley floor, the suit taking all of the force with ease.

She surveyed the debacle in front of her before she opened a comm line. "Mother, order the units to stand down. I'll take care of things from here!"

"As you wish, Samus," Mother said, thankfully not trying to argue.

The intelligence made good on her promise as all of the flamethrowers shut down immediately. The Iono Feria clustered around the middle, confused as to why they were no longer being attacked. This was exactly what Samus had been hoping for. Within her arm cannon, her thumb brushed a control and a tiny icon changed on the right corner of her visor. Checking to see that she had made the correct selection, she carefully lifted her arm up, while she used her left hand to stable the cannon, and fired a small burst at a straggler.

The tiny ball of energy caught the Iono Feria directly in the chest. Samus smiled happily as she watched the tiny creature crumple gently to the ground, knocked out. The stun burst would only last for fifteen minutes, but she only needed two to get the job done.

Her breathing felt much less labored than usual and Samus slowly adjusted her aim and picked each Iono Feria out of the sky, one by one. A few times, she would miss but would always recover quickly and hit the next creature in seconds. In just over a minute and a half, the tiny bodies of ten Iono Feria lay in a pile in the middle of the ground, breathing a bit more heavily, but alive.

"There…" Samus panted in between victorious chuckles. "I did it…" She began to walk over to the bodies of the creatures, her gait slow and gentle, in contrast the intimidating warrior look that her armor gave off. "We're going to help you guys," she spoke softly to the Iono Feria. "We're going to save you all. No one will ever hurt you aga-"

Before her very eyes, a wall of flame rushed out in front of her, causing Samus to flinch backward. She reflexively lifted a hand to protect her from the glare, despite the visor automatically adjusting to the increased light. Her mouth fell open in horror as she realized that the spiraling fire had washed over the unconscious Iono Feria, consuming them in the blaze. A roasting sound crackled through the broiling mass and Samus felt sick, on the verge of throwing up.

Slowly, deliberately, Samus turned in shame and spotted the five riot units assembled in formation, their flamethrowers emitting distorted waves of heat as they cooled. Mother's monitor hovered between them. "All targets eliminated," the intelligence announced smugly. "We will now proceed with cleanup in the area." The lens of the monitor dipped, as if it knew the effect of the words it was about to utter. "Thank you for your help, Samus. We will be able to take things from here."

The result was electrifying. It felt like, to Samus, that her whole body was shaking in rage. Her vision narrowed and turned red, her heart threatening to beat itself out of her chest. She didn't even know that she was clenching her fist so tight that it was making the suit creak in protest.

Unconsciously, her thumb tweaked a control on her cannon, and the next move was made so quickly, so deliberately, that it seemed like she had only just thought about the action when she moved of her own accord.

Samus did not even steady her arm cannon as it fired the energy bolt. It flew, straight and true, until it impacted on the middle riot unit, shattering it in a mess of broken metal. The machine barely had enough time to fall when Samus whipped her aim to the left and loosed two shots in quick succession. The two bolts sheared through the riot units and they collapsed too, splintering as molten metal dripped around them.

She waved her arm in an arc and unleashed the last two energy projections of the night. They too found their targets and soon all five riot units lay around her in pieces. Hesitant, Mother's monitor slowly drifted over to Samus, who had lowered her weapon at this time. Hidden inside her helmet, a single tear ran down Samus' cheek. "You didn't even give them a chance…" she mumbled, her voice hoarse.

"That is where you're wrong, Samus," Mother said, indifferent. "They were all doomed from the start." Before Samus could turn her rage onto the monitor, it abruptly turned around and zoomed out of range, knowing that destruction would follow if it lingered any further.

* * *

Old Bird ascended the stone steps, knowing that he would find the girl here. He took them slowly, using his walking stick to help him up. The early morning sun streamed through the windows as he climbed, casting everything in a warm, yellow light. The effort from climbing the stairs still tired him, but he had to talk to Samus this time. For her own sake, she needed someone.

He finally reached the top and walked over to the alcove, looking at the miserable Samus, who covered her head with her arms and legs. Pyonchi was by her side, providing the girl comfort from his mere presence. Old Bird smiled at the rabbilis, finding a kinship between them. He stared at Samus a bit more, not sure if she even knew that he was a few feet behind her.

"Samus," he began softly.

She immediately raised her head up at the sound of his voice. "Old Bird…" she whispered, her voice husky from crying.

He motioned for her to remain sitting and he grabbed a chair as he walked over so that he could be closer as he talked. He gazed serenely off into the distance, noting that Samus had picked quite a lovely spot to be by herself. From her vantage point, she could see the mist covered peaks of the mountain range rise up like daggers in the distance. Clouds dotted the pristine sky and the cool breeze ruffled his expansive robes. He had always liked it up here and was happy that Samus thought so too.

"My child," he smiled at her, "what you did out there today…I cannot express how proud I am of you."

"_Proud?_" Samus said in surprise before her face fell drastically. "I didn't do a damn thing out there, Old Bird. All those Iono Feria are dead because of me."

"No, _not_ because of you!" Old Bird assured. "You fought to save their lives out there after saving Gray Voice's! You became the Protector we always envisioned you to be. Samus…you were exemplary!"

"I sure don't feel exemplary," Samus sighed, lowering her head. "I did what I thought was right and I still failed anyway."

"Gray Voice might say differently, my child. Do not attribute Mother's actions as where you failed, Samus. What you did, alone, showed everyone your true self and how you fought to preserve life despite the odds."

"Yeah, well, it's not like I can do anything about that _here_," Samus grumbled as she edged a pebble off of the balcony. "I can't protect everyone, Old Bird. I can't make a difference to the galaxy if I just have Mother hovering about, trying to interfere with me. Old Bird…why couldn't I save them?"

Samus bit her lip to stop herself from breaking down in front of the Chozo, but Old Bird leaned down to gently pat the girl on the back. "There, there, Samus. You are young and full of potential. Today was an important lesson for you, but there will be more opportunities for you in the future. Samus…based on what was witnessed last night, we think that you are finally ready."

The human's mouth trembled and finally fell open as she processed his words. "Ready? You mean…ready to leave?"

Old Bird nodded sadly. "Samus, you have proved that you have taken what we have taught you to heart. You have our teachings, our equipment, and even our power. For you to linger here would be unfair to what you were meant to be. To fulfil your true purpose in life."

"And what would my true purpose be?"

"To be a Protector, Samus," Old Bird said gently. "We have given you everything we knew in regards to your training. We only wanted to make you the best possible person in this galaxy, but we can't keep guiding you the whole way." The Chozo gave a knowing smile. "The only person who can complete your growth, your training, is _you_."

Samus didn't blink. Rather, she stared back out at the distant mountain range for a long time, admiring the snow covered caps and the haze that shrouded them. Pyonchi curled up in her lap and she began to pet the creature reflexively. "And…you're sure that I'm ready for this, Old Bird?"

"We are," the Chozo said. "But you shouldn't need our voice to decide where you feel your path must go. You can still decide not to walk it, if you choose."

"You won't have to worry, Old Bird," Samus said as she slowly got to her feet. Her legs were steady and she turned her face into the wind, letting her hair billow behind her. The sun finally peeked out from behind the clouds and cast the entire structure into its glow. Samus did not flinch, but stepped into the warmth as if it were an old friend, a comforting embrace. "I want to become a Protector of the galaxy."

"And you shall, my child. And you shall."

Close by, but hidden in the shadows of the corner, the lens of Mother's monitor whirred on the interchange between the Chozo and the human. The drone itself was incapable of projecting emotion, but it seemed to hover in place, as if it was horrified by what it was seeing.

Before it could be noticed, the monitor quickly turned and headed down the staircase, the intelligence controlling it gravely concerned by what it had just heard. In the chamber where the biosynthetic processor that controlled the monitor was housed, the liquid in the central tank frothed fiercely, the being within deep in thought.

For once, Mother was at a loss for words.

* * *

_**A/N: So far, general reactions seem to be pretty enthusiastic. Hopefully I can keep that streak going!**_

_**For most people who have read the manga, this chapter in particular was one that grated on a lot of hard-core Metroid fans, so I decided to change the parts that were considered the most offensive to Metroid lore. For one, in the manga, Samus' attitude is akin to a very "girly" girl, for lack of a better descriptor, a trait that is not touched on again. In that medium, she appears to me to be a bit of a ditz, which seems rather insulting for such a strong female character. I think I sufficiently stamped out that characterization in this adaptation, though.**_

_**Another thing that people hated was that the Iono Feria creatures possessed weaponry from the Space Pirates in the manga, some calling the entire ordeal "butterflies with guns." It was a silly plot device used in the manga so that was another scene that I altered extensively so that I couldn't roll my eyes at its stupidity. Tell me if you like these changes, it will give me an idea for what I'm doing right.**_

_**And now, to address some reviews:**_

_**LawrenceSnake: Yeah, I know that I took out that crucial Ridley line from the manga. It's just that the translation always grated on me because I didn't exactly think it was the most eloquent response he could have given. Plus, the delivery was a bit too abrupt which wouldn't have made it well in any adaptation. That's more of a translation issue in that sense, actually, but I was fully aware of what I was doing at the time.**_

_**TheBarbarianKing: The entire Metroid series is prone to several continuity errors, leading to some retcons here or there. While it may have been stated in one piece of media that the Metroids were planted before Samus was born, the manga specifically states otherwise. And since this is an adaptation after all, I'm going to adhere to the manga in this case. No idea why the creators didn't have any attention to detail when going over this, but this is where I'm at now. You'd think the writers would have thought it obvious to look at the fine details throughout the writing process...*glances at Other M***_

_**Insomniac By Choice: Well, I'm glad that so far I've managed to avoid the pitfalls that you just listed. Make no mistake, I hope you continue to enjoy the story.**_


	3. Chapter 3: First Battle

Two Years Later

Congressman Keaton grunted as the roar of the hall filled his ears. He shuffled in his seat, bemoaning the gullibility of his colleagues as the blustering chairman filled the arena with noise. Ever since accepting the job, it seemed like all he had been doing was listening to Vogl's continuous speeches, each one a theatrical extravaganza of sensational dialogue but with little to no force behind the words. Election certainly was not worth torture like this.

He wished he was back on his home planet, for Daiban was not exactly his definition of a quiet world. The entire planet was comprised of huge city-states, each one a sprawling metropolis that stretched for hundreds of miles across the world's surface. As the capital of the Milky Way as well as the headquarters of the Galactic Federation, Daiban did indeed suffice as a good meeting point due to its proximity to the center of the galaxy, but it lacked a certain flair that Keaton desired. It was too…clean, too crowded. There were no landscapes in the vicinity that made the planet stand out in his mind, apart from the bustling traffic.

The congressman scratched the back of his head, twitching his tall ears and brushing over his two antennas. The green skinned alien wished for a more rustic place to congregate, as he detested the urban cityscape of Daiban itself. A thin man, Keaton realized that his stature was not so intimidating compared to the other races in the galaxy, but he had learned to make up for it with his sharp mind. He prized brains over brawn and his planet certainly saw his qualities as suitable for a position in congress. What he did not expect was the distinct lack of smarts that plagued his colleagues, especially the chairman. It was a clear leader that the galaxy needed, not one who continually made empty promises, and every general meeting served to make Keaton detest his post more and more.

Keaton sighed in his seat, causing some congressmen to look over at him with disdain. He didn't care, for it seemed that he was the only rationally thinking person in this huge amphitheater atop of the Assembly Hall. Rows upon rows of men and women sat in bleachers forming a circle around the central dais, where the chairman was currently standing. The dais itself was suspended over the Assembly gardens and a clear dome on the bottom of the floor gave congress an unimpeded view of the courtyard below. A huge vidscreen hung in the middle, a tool designed to augment the chairman's words with visual splendor. A tried and true method to gain support in congress, a fact that Keaton hated to admit.

Chairman Vogl was a large man, something that Keaton resented. The alien's four frontal horns were draped in ceremonial metal coverings, while the rear ones were covered by an ornamental sheet. Combined with the flowing robe he wore, Vogl looked regal in his getup. The camera drones hovering about him seemed to fuel his intensity, knowing that he was being projected across the galaxy for an audience. He had all the qualities of a broadcaster, but not a chairman, Keaton thought.

Vogl threw his hands in the air, the signal for order to fall upon the congress. When the noise had died down to half the volume, the chairman spoke, his unnaturally booming voice unaided by audio enhancements. "Congressmen of the Galactic Federation!" he roared as usual, causing Keaton to roll his eyes, "I thank you all for assembling on such short notice. I will not trouble all of you with a speech today, but instead, I ask you to please look at the vidscreen above."

"That's a first," Keaton muttered savagely, causing him to be shushed.

As the video began to boot up over the assembly, Vogl continued to talk. "I will preface this with a little context, of course. What you are about to see is a collection of footage compiled from Federation units assigned to oversee the colony worlds in the Neogatta Nebula. An incident transpired yesterday that I believe that you all should see. I do warn you that the contents may be disturbing, but I want you to see it regardless."

"What do we care about that good-for-nothing lot?!" a radical yelled in the back row.

Vogl ignored him, as did Keaton, who was similarly astounded that such a loudmouth would broadcast his words in a recorded gathering. Most likely, the man would find himself looking for a new job within the week. While it was true that many of the interior worlds held disdain for the colonies as they put pressure on their host planets for resources, such outbursts were looked down upon in a public forum.

By now the video had begun playing, and every congressman in attendance looked up at the images. A few overhead shots depicted what looked like a settlement near an ocean. Smoke raised to the side of the shot, emitted from an orange glow upon a few of the buildings, a fire. Mercifully, the establishing shot was cut short which would have led to audible speculation of the film's contents, to an angle on the ground, most likely collected from a surveillance camera.

Keaton leaned forward in astonishment, as did a few other members, as a collection of humanoids were revealed through the glare in the video to walk towards the nearby cliff upon which the settlement had been situated. Keaton could see that there were two distinct groups in the footage, one huddled mass that was closer to the cliff, and another more staggered and aggressive group urging them on. Keaton did not recognize the group of aliens near the cliff side, but he could tell enough simply by the stance of the latter one that they were Space Pirates spread out in a killing formation and Keaton noted that they were guiding hostages – the colonists.

The claws of the Space Pirates were all open, and for a moment, Keaton thought they were going to execute the colonists right on the screen, but the insectoid aliens did not fire. Rather, they urged their prisoners closer and closer to the cliff, and suddenly Keaton realized what they were about to do.

In a matter of seconds, the colonists, their clothing torn, some not wearing anything at all, began to bunch up near the crumbling edge. Silently, the helpless victims began to tumble to their death as the Pirates closed in, pushing the colonists into an uncontrollable mass. Even through the grainy quality, Keaton could see an alien colonist, a child in her arms, hesitate for a split second before she willingly jumped off the cliff into the water below, knowing that her fate was sealed if she lingered. Keaton shut his eyes, feeling nauseous, and he could hear the soft sounds of a few congressmen and women crying. Respectfully, the video shut off after that gruesome shot and Keaton found that he was able to breathe easier.

Vogl, looking satisfied, scanned the looks of his colleagues for a few seconds before he projected his voice once more. "The footage you just saw was the first definitive proof we have received in months of a Space Pirate attack. This makes the planet Naishi one of the two hundred worlds that the Pirates have conquered so far. My friends, this has gone on long enough! We have been lax for far too long! Do you think that two hundred worlds will be enough to satiate the Pirate horde?"

A resounding "_NO!_" swept the chamber, Keaton with a respectful shake.

"And do you think that we, the Federation, have a duty to prevent another world from being conquered?"

"_YES!_" the assembly roared.

"We can remain silent no more! Retribution for the Space Pirates must be doled out swiftly! As a united Federation, resolute against the storm, _we can persevere!_"

Vogl raised his arm and smiled at the swarm of approval. Keaton joined in the clapping, but he held other concerns. It was true that Vogl was heading in the right direction, but, if he considered the chairman's ham-fisted way of approaching problems, there was most likely cause for worry. He was about to make a motion to reply when a multi-eyed alien near the front beat him to it.

"Chairman Vogl!" the alien called, his chair levitating to make him stand out against his peers.

"Congressman Aegil," Vogl replied, waving his hands graciously. "What is it you wish to add?"

"Merely to clarify the situation," the alien dipped its head. "Many of the colonies were formed to keep their governance at arm's length. Some might see as an escalation of military forces as an aggressive move on our part."

"They very well may!" Vogl boomed. "But we will have to maintain order amongst our forces to show the colonies that the occupation of their worlds is for their benefit, not their punishment."

"Respectfully, chairman, some colonists might not see it that way. They might think the Federation as no better than the Space Pirates if we forcefully occupy their lands."

"While it's true that there are several members amongst the colonies that harbor resentment for us, they will be forced to concede that we are the lesser of two evils, an expression, mind you, but the logic should convince the naysayers that we are not the enemy in this case. The _Pirates_ are!"

The assembly was again engulfed in noise. The chairman's name was chanted, Keaton fidgeted again in his seat, but the congressman in the front did not sit back down yet. Vogl seemed to realize this and waved his hands for order once more, allowing the alien to say his piece.

"One final thing, chairman. You speak of utilizing our forces to defend the colonies, but our military presence is insubstantial to defend all of the fringe worlds at once. What kind of actions would be considered to boost the numbers of our forces?"

"An excellent question," Vogl answered with flair. "It would stand to reason that promoting recruitment would be the obvious choice, given the circumstances. I would not be so bold as to proclaim that a draft be enacted, but the current situation should be brought to light in such a manner that would emphasize its severity to any world. Incentives would be provided, such as alleviation of taxes, a steady source of income to any able-bodied man or woman who enlists, and other potential benefits would be considered that could have the potential to rally our citizens to fight the Pirate menace!"

The idea seemed to go over well with the assembly as judged by the volume of the congress' response, and the congressman who posed the question sat back down in satisfaction. But Keaton found himself brimming with a desire for more information, and, hidden by the roar of the crowd, he gently tapped an icon on his chair's armrest, respectfully signaling his desire to speak.

His chair rose above the horde and Vogl eyed the man with apprehension. "Congressman Keaton," he stated loudly from his wide mouth. "What addendum do you wish to provide this congress with?"

The spiraled tail twisting from Keaton's head was twitching in his nervousness, but he somehow found the courage to move his platform closer to the chairman, wanting to see the man's reaction. "I just would like to proceed further with Congressman Aegil's line of thinking, chairman." He took a swallow before moving on. "Expanding our current military power would send a message to the Pirates, yes, but it would also send a message to the people we represent. Such a move, despite your assurances, would invariably involve the common man in this case. Now, I'm not referring to the probability of a draft being enacted, but I would like to point out that this course of action takes us dangerously close to a crisis at home."

"This _is_ a crisis, congressman!" Vogl yelled, the crowd supporting him in his cry. "The 'common man' _will_ be involved, as you said, by his being aware that his very survival is at stake. His involvement will be made out of a willingness to serve, not by force, but by his own hand alone!"

"Regardless," Keaton pressed, "we need to exercise caution if we are to continue with this debate. What we are discussing, Chairman Vogl, is _war_."

"What we are discussing, Congressman Keaton, is justice conquering evil!" His face was now inches from Keaton's at this point. "You may call it war, or a conflict, or even a full-on disaster for what I care! Am I to assume that you are _opposing_ any actions by this body to retaliate from the blood being spilled? That seems like the more dangerous out of our lines of thinking to _me_."

Keaton inwardly scowled at Vogl's perversion of his words. He managed to ignore the boos and jeers by taking another deep breath, careful not to follow through with his thought in punching the smug chairman in the face. "I do not oppose the use of force for the reasons you mentioned," he said carefully, "but only that you consider the ramifications of such a decision. If we choose to push for war, we could find our ways of living drastically becoming altered. Our economies will be shaken, thousands may lose jobs, and our budget will be used up by the push to create a war machine out of the Federation. It is my wish that we consider these issues thoughtfully before blindly pushing on to the problem at hand."

"A good point, congressman," Vogl said. "But one could see that the construction of such a machine would invariably _create_ jobs out of this crisis." He used the word again, to strum up another cry of approval. "Wouldn't our economy be bolstered by shifting productions to the important products that we designate? Rifles, battleships, equipment…"

"A _war_ economy," Keaton sighed. "While the effects might not be immediate, chairman, I urge you to consider the effects not from transitioning into such a state, but from the return out of it. It is much easier to tear down a foundation than to build it back up."

That bought him a round of applause, the sound jarring to Keaton. He didn't mind that it was significantly more staggered than the collective cacophony that Vogl always managed to procure, but it was a victory nonetheless. Keaton tilted his head upward and shot the glowering chairman a tight smile before he tapped at his platform to return him to his regular seat.

"Thank you for your consideration, chairman," Keaton said.

* * *

"Congressman Keaton!"

Keaton turned at the voice, drawn out of his thoughts as he paced the ornate hallways of the Assembly building. Rows and rows of offices ran down tall passageways and the windows let the light from the sun sparkle on the polished stone floor. Keaton smiled, his heels clacking on the ground, to face the pair of Chozo headed his way. The shorter of the two appeared to have a white rodent clinging onto the back of his head, but Keaton let it slide, as the man tended to be on the eccentric side.

"Old Bird," Keaton bent his head respectfully and he nodded at the taller Chozo that hung back. "Gray Voice, good to see you both again."

"Likewise, congressman," Gray Voice said as he shuffled away to let Old Bird talk to Keaton alone.

"I was unaware that you were in the system, Old Bird," Keaton said apologetically. "Had I known, I would have contacted you sooner."

"Work has been catching up with me," Old Bird clarified, "but I wanted to make time to bring awareness to myself on behalf of the Chozo about the goings on of the galaxy. We owe the Federation that much."

"Then I assume you managed to catch Vogl's drabble about pushing ahead into open conflict?"

"Yes, I did. I also saw your own glowing speech that you made. You made some very good points and it was admirable how you managed to be respectful to the chairman when voicing your concerns."

"You honor me, but I doubt it will do any good," Keaton scowled. "It's deplorable, what this Federation has devolved to. We were a body formed with the intent to maintain peace between the galaxy, but our desire to enforce it through war is shattering the foundations on which this congress was established."

"Perhaps you feel that the conflict between the Pirates can be resolved amicably?"

Keaton snorted. "Personally, I doubt it, Old Bird. But what I do not understand is that the congress can make such a decision so rashly, when they are failing to look at the bigger picture! If we _are_ to go to war, we need to approach it pragmatically, not through the usual brute force method that Vogl condones. If we continue on this current path, we will most likely bring about the destruction of the Space Pirates at the cost of our own Federation. A middle ground _has_ to be met!"

Old Bird swayed a bit on his stick and the rodent that was perched on the Chozo's head scurried down to the floor, ears high in the air as if he was eagerly listening to the conversation. "I can only hope," Old Bird said sadly, "that the Federation will learn the error of their ways and adopt a more cautious attitude like yours. I share your sentiment, but I have to concede that the chairman is trying to grasp for a resolution the only way he knows how. It may be the wrong way, but such things take time to adopt. Everything will come into balance eventually. All it takes is time."

The Chozo fiddled around with something in his pocket and procured a small datapad, the surface glowing. Old Bird sighed as he activated the device. "Speaking of time, it is something that I have very little of at the moment. I'm afraid I must depart, Keaton, for there remains a great many things that I need to accomplish."

Keaton nodded in understanding but he managed to catch a glimpse of the datapad that Old Bird was now holding close to his chest. He didn't have enough time to figure out what it was but it looked like it displayed a diagram of a circular organism with what appeared to be teeth lining the bottom. Keaton arched an eyebrow for a split second before he recovered. "I won't keep you any longer, Old Bird. It was a pleasure seeing you again. Do tell me the next time you plan to be in the system. I'm afraid that I'll still be stuck here, much to my chagrin."

"I shall do just that. Goodbye, Keaton." Both gave short bows to the other before they departed in different directions. As he made to turn a corner, Keaton stole a glance behind him, watching Old Bird move out to the landing pad with Gray Voice. He suddenly got a funny feeling that the Chozo would not keep his promise of returning, and his thoughts turned to that odd organism that he saw on the datapad. After spending a few seconds contemplating what it was, Keaton gave a mental shrug and continued on his way, back towards his own office.

It was probably nothing important.

* * *

Planet Jigrad

As far as out-of-the-way colonies went, Jigrad had to be one of the nicer ones. At least from the vantage point the figure was situated on, for they had no way of knowing if any other part of the planet happened to be as nice as this, or that it was a complete dump. From their perch, they could see down the forested mountainside, watching it slope down to the coast. Rocky islands loomed from the sea and the cloudless sky caused the ocean to sparkle.

It would have been a nice place to relax, if it wasn't for the commotion occurring directly at the shoreline.

The figure lifted their macro-binoculars again and surveyed the scene once more. Directly on a small cliff, there was a structure that looked to be in the process of construction. Scaffolding rose up around the stone ziggurat where workers labored to put it together. It was only five stories tall, but it was the only significant structure in the area. If the figure panned down, they could spot a tiny opening at the bottom of the cliff where workers were hauling materials out of the shaft. That meant a mine of sorts.

What brought the figure's blood to a boil, though, was the fact that all of the workers milling about the construction site were humans, poorly garbed, and that they were in the presence of their merciless overseers, the Space Pirates. The figure zoomed in on a group of laborers who were carrying mud from a dig site, noting their pained and worn faces while the taller, insectoid Pirates reveled in their suffering.

Another planet brought to its knees, forced into subjugation by an oppressive guest.

The scurrying of feet on a slope alerted the figure and they lowered their macro-binoculars in anticipation. They relaxed as two additional figures, wearing the same green and brown camouflage uniform, slowed their descent and walked over to the ledge, keen to carry out more surveillance.

"Kreatz, Mauk," the first figure greeted the new arrivals. "How did the uplink go to command?"

"Not too good," the thinner of the two said as he threw back his hood, revealing a wiry young man with messy hair and long, pointed ears. Kreatz was only eighteen years old but he was one of the best support units in the Star-Trackers, the specialist arm of the Federation Police, a position that he liked to brag about to anyone within earshot. He had a big mouth but meant well. "Chief Hardy reports that the Pirates are in control of the entire system. There wasn't much in the way of defenses against an invading force this size. Not in this place."

"They've achieved complete control and nothing to oppose them is in sight," the taller of the two added as he too removed his hood. Mauk stood at least two heads taller than Kreatz and had huge powerful arms covered in a thick black fur. The man also possessed a busy mane that gave him a wild look, but Mauk was always gentle with his comrades. It was his enemies that had to watch out, though. "We spotted no additional tangos from the peak so we know they're local to this area only. Unless, they've received any additional reinforcements since we've been away, Samus?"

Now the first figure unzipped their hood and Samus shook out her blond hair, combing out the tangles from it being bunched up in the stealthy clothing. At sixteen years old, Corporal Samus Aran had more military experience than the average grunt, her Chozo training being a boon to her placement in the Star-Trackers. Not to mention that her conduct at the academy qualified her for any branch she so desired, and eventually selected the Police branch of the Federation. Through the military, she could now be able to take the fight to the Pirates, along with the backing of the entire Federation to boot. That was how she had met Kreatz and Mauk, finding the two to be quite good comrades.

For a first mission, things were going well so far.

Samus pulled a band from her pocket and began to tie her hair up in a ponytail. A few strands fell down her face in twin locks and she simply left them there. "There hasn't been any sign of reserve forces for the Pirates," she commented dryly. "The number is still at twenty-four, including the leader."

Samus handed the macro-binoculars to Kreatz and he took them. He zoomed in on the rightmost base of the half-finished ziggurat and immediately saw the leader that Samus was referring to. As opposed to his subordinates, the leader in question was a heavyset Pirate, reclining atop a makeshift throne. A robe was thrown over his back and he wore a smug smile as he surveyed the progress that his slaves were making. Juice from a fruit that the alien was eating dripped onto the Pirate's chest, causing Kreatz to make a sound of disgust.

Kreatz silently handed the lens over to Mauk so he could see. The huge alien took his time through the binoculars before lifting his head back up. "We still haven't determined why they're making the colonists build that…thing," he muttered, slight perturbed at the construction display. "It almost looks like a temple of sorts."

Tapping her fingers against a rock, Samus sighed. "The strange thing is that we've never reported this kind of behavior from the Pirates before. The bulk of their main forces have moved on from this system after two months but this seems to be the only major contingent left behind. And for some reason they're making the colonists perform construction for some reason."

"Perhaps it's meant as a monument to their own 'greatness,'" Kreatz scowled. "They might just be planting markers to highlight the extent of their empire."

"By forcing the natives to build the structure manually instead of utilizing machines," Mauk added sourly, his deep voice rumbling. "Probably a tactic used to humiliate their captives and worsen their suffering."

As he spoke, Mauk looked through the macro-binoculars again, aimlessly drifting from one person to the next. He spotted some gazes flitting to the top of the structure and he looked up just in time to see a Pirate extend his arm and shoot a colonist in the face for no discernable reason, causing the decapitated body to tumble down the stairs, leaving bloody streaks.

"Shit," he muttered out loud, looking away from the gristly sight. He didn't know what had set the Pirate off, but it was clear that hospitality was not among their chief qualities on this planet. Many of the humans jumped in shock and stared at the headless body as it crumpled in a heap at the base of the steep steps.

Samus noted the sight too, as evidenced from the tiny cries of horror that she could hear all the way up the cliff. "When did the Chief say that the other recon teams would arrive?" she gritted, torn at the prospect of innocents getting hurt.

"An hour, minimum," Kreatz sighed. "After that we're all going to group up and attempt to take out the occupying force. At least, that's still the game plan."

"Something tells me that an hour won't be soon enough," Mauk grimaced.

Samus inwardly agreed and was about to duck down to maximize their stealthy presence when a slew of more horrified noises echoed up the mountainside. Frowning, she grabbed the binoculars from Mauk and leaned over the ledge again. From what she could tell, several of the colonists were shouting in a panic, but not taking any action. Following their gazes, she proceeded until she found a Pirate walking in from the direction of the razed colony, a line of new captives all tied together by rope helplessly following him as he dragged them along.

Samus clenched the grips of the binoculars so tightly that she thought she could shatter the lens. There was something completely wrong about these new workers, something that sent a chill down her spine at the mere sight of them. Suddenly, an hour _definitely_ seemed too short for her.

"Those are _kids!_" she whispered, causing Kreatz and Mauk to sit up in alarm.

Indeed they were, for the oldest looked no younger than five. All were barefoot and pathetically clothed, each child bore a helpless look, not desensitized to the horrors of war that they could put on their brave faces so easily. All were trembling badly, some already tear-streaked.

The Pirate led the children over to the front of the ziggurat, where a pair of metal columns had been erected. A red beam shot between the two poles, and two other Pirates flanked the sides of the poles.

Samus felt her heart begin to beat faster, only delegated to watch as a Pirate untied the first kid in line and shoved her between the poles. The girl made a cry of pain as the Pirate hit her in the back but she broke the red beam with a beeping noise. Samus breathed out slightly, relieved that the beam was only a detector and not a cruel killing device, but her relief turned to concern as she continued to look on.

Still confused as to what the significance of the beam meant, the trio watched as the Pirates shuttled kid after kid between the metal poles. As their bodies passed through the red beam with a series of beeps, they were congregated into a huddled group, waiting until their friends had all safely passed through.

The last child in line was a tiny girl with raven hair that looked to be about three. She began to move up to the poles, but stopped short of the blazing red beam. Taking the slight hesitation as defiance, a Pirate whacked her on the back of the head and she stumbled forward with a sob. But, unlike the others, the beam passed a solid inch over her head, and no beeping noise accompanied her passage.

For some reason, this seemed to attract the attention of the three Space Pirates in the vicinity, as well as a few of the adult slaves, their faces frozen in shock. Suddenly, a few of the humans began to scream, pleading for mercy, for anything.

"_Don't kill the child!_" one woman wailed, the noise easily heard from Samus' position.

"Kill the child?" Mauk gaped, aghast.

Back near the structure, the Pirate leader leaned forward, an impressive effort considering his wide girth. "You all know the rules!" he barked, the rasping voice heavily accented. "The girl is not tall enough, therefore she's not fit to work!" To the Pirates who now surrounded the child, he waved a claw. "You may kill her. Right here will do."

Samus stood up, forgetting her recon role. "They're going to kill her because she's not tall enough?! Those…_bastards!_"

Kreatz said nothing, gulping frantically as his gaze was glued through the binoculars, already anticipating the tragic sight.

Back near the structure, the Pirate leader was laughing maniacally at the shocked colonists. "Do you humans really think that this girl is worth anything to us? Look at her, she's pathetic!" The Pirate giggled sadistically as the child sat on the ground, now starting to realize that she was going to die. "But, perhaps you may have a point," he said slowly. "Perhaps she _can_ work. However, to be quite honest, her capacity to do work is irrelevant in this case. What you all do not understand is that us Pirates need a source of amusement from time to time. It gets dreadfully _boring_ just sitting here and watching you work. It makes me anxious when we haven't seen blood in a while. And what better way to provide that than by picking out the slaves who are the most useless to us?"

As the girl found herself surrounded by five Pirates, she covered her face with her hands, her tears flowing steadily through the cracks. The aliens all cackled in a haunting chorus, the ends of their claws beginning to glow from plasma buildup. The leader sat forward anxiously, awaiting the horrid show.

The colonists gasped, Kreatz hyperventilated, and the child sobbed.

"_FIRE!_" came the cry from the large Pirate.

Immediately, five bolts scoured across the landscape, zooming towards the ziggurat. Within seconds of the other, the five Pirates each grunted as something red-hot punched through their bodies and exited out the opposite side, leaving smoking holes in their chests. They all collapsed simultaneously, sending up a cloud of dust which obscured the scene.

The area was quiet for ten long seconds, until a shadowy form lifted itself from the cloud, the child protected in its arms. All of the humans and the Pirates gasped as the armored Samus held the small girl aloft, five dead Pirates at her feet.

"What in the…" Kreatz gaped, stunned at Samus' actions and how she managed to get down there so fast.

A woman quickly ran up to Samus before the Pirates could react and Samus handed the child over. "Get her somewhere safe," she whispered to the woman, who immediately took off with the girl in tow. To the remaining Pirates, she made sure to fix them with a stare of pure hatred, even though they couldn't see her expression through her visor.

"All Space Pirates!" Samus barked, her helmet amplifying her volume so that she sounded terrifyingly loud. "Surrender yourselves right now or be destroyed. I will not provide you with a second warning." She looked like an ancient god of war, all encased in the armor, and the Pirates hesitated as they began to make up their minds.

"You needn't have bothered with the first one, you fool!" the large Pirate cried from his perch before he rounded on his subordinates. "Forget the girl, kill this Federation woman instead!"

_Thank you_, Samus thought as she dropped into a combat stance at the Pirate's words. The tall aliens were still in the process of interpreting their commands when Samus fired the first shot. The hot energy bowled over a nearby Pirate, his carapace smoking as his torso burst into smithereens. Samus ground her feet into the sand and rotated in place, her arm steady while her cannon methodically fired, creating smoking holes into the Pirate forces.

The aliens cursed and regained their composure. A soldier near Samus finally fired but the armored woman dived out of the way seconds before the ground erupted in flames. Globs of molten glass sprayed the Power Suit but Samus was otherwise unfazed.

Frustrated, the same soldier tried firing again, but Samus dodged and fired at the same time. Her bolt took the Pirate's arm off at the shoulder and the alien's cohort scrunched its face up in concentration, focusing on hitting Samus with its lasers.

Samus grunted as her move brought her dangerously close to the Pirate's beam and she clutched her side as the plasma made a gouge in her side. Her energy counter on the top of her visor dropped to 80, which only served to incite her even more. Through the fire springing up around her, Samus calmly brought her next target into her sights, her auto-aiming mechanism locked on. A bolt from her arm cannon took a Pirate's head off, the cauterized neck smoking as its limbs briefly flailed in place.

Two more Pirates tried to rush behind Samus in an attempt to flank her but she bent her knees and took off in a flying leap. Her arc briefly made her block out the bright sun overhead and she somersaulted in mid-air, her cannon already trained on her next two targets. Two shots rang out and an arm and a leg were sent spiraling through the air, the two Pirates moaning as they clutched their severed limbs, rendering them out of the fight.

Samus slammed down on the ground, sending up a shockwave as the weight from her armor reverberated on the hard dirt, muted from the sand as it spread out. Her head whirling in all directions, she found her next target, a group of Pirates on the upper scaffolding and set off after them, destruction on her heels.

Back up top, Kreatz watched the firefight with an increasing sense of dread in his gut. "So much for sticking to our reconnaissance orders," he grumbled. "I can already imagine the piles of paperwork we're going to have to file, Mauk. We'll be knee deep in writing apologies for the rest of our-" Kreatz finally looked away from the binoculars to find that he was now all alone on the ledge. "Mauk?" he asked, wondering where his friend had gone. "_Mauk?_"

A deep boom of laughter drew his attention to the bottom of the slope. Kreatz's jaw dropped as he watched Mauk leap high into the air, an enormous shotgun clutched in both hands. The huge man looked like he was having the time of his life as he fired and swung his gun at anything within arm's reach. Pirates were ripped to shreds from the assault and Mauk advanced, cutting a swath to join Samus in the fight.

Kreatz threw down the binoculars in frustration. "Oh…_really?!_" he screamed at the departing Mauk. "Did you seriously just leave me here so that you could hog all the fun?!" Kreatz was fuming as he withdrew a pair of submachine guns from his back, flicking the safeties off with his thumbs. "Dammit, you guys, you _know_ I can't resist a good fight! And I'll be damned if I can't get in on _this_ one!"

Now grinning madly, Kreatz double timed it down the slope, his twin guns out front and center. He made it down without tripping and began lighting up his targets as soon as he hit level ground. His bullets sent up plumes of grit as they scythed across the land. Pirates grunted and fell as they were chewed up by the assault, the recoil kicking back comfortably in Kreatz's hands. Green spurts of blood flew as the aliens were riddled from the bullets, pieces of their bodies getting steadily chewed away as the bullets zipped through.

Meanwhile, Mauk, after his shotgun's clip had run out, had resorted to swinging the gigantic gun like a club, whacking everything in sight. Pirates were thrown to the ground, bleeding out of every orifice as their skulls were crushed, unable to halt the huge man's onslaught.

Now aware that her backup had arrived, Samus fell into a rhythm as she steadily aimed and fired at the Pirates. Each one was too flustered to react properly and they made hasty shots in her direction. They missed, but she didn't.

Less than a minute later, the three stood tall and proud amongst the dead and dying Pirates. Mauk's shotgun was cracked, useless. Kreatz's submachine guns were smoking, the barrels hot. Samus, however, did not show any signs of wear and she started to walk towards the only enemy left in the vicinity: the Pirate commander. The rotund alien was still sitting in his chair, completely dumbfounded that three people managed to defeat his entire platoon and his expression of terror completely satisfied Samus to no end.

Samus walked purposefully in between the detection poles, showing no signs of stopping after she broke the still functioning red beam. The quiet beep from the sensor was astonishingly loud after silence had fallen upon the battlefield. The Pirate tried to speak but all that came out of his mouth was a panicked blubber. Unsympathetic to the alien's plight, Samus reached forward and bodily hurled the Pirate out of his seat, tearing the robe off his back. The Pirate flopped to the ground and began to scurry backward, making only high-pitched breathing noises.

However, as he backed up, the Pirate passed between the detection poles, not noticing them as he concentrated solely on the advancing Samus. She stopped when the Pirate failed to break the red beam and let a slow smile spread across her face. The Pirate now looked up and realized what had happened, now starting to shake so hard that his carapace was rattling.

"I believe you know the rule," Samus said slowly, "that because you weren't tall enough to be detected by the sensor…you're 'unfit,' as you proclaimed."

"No…" the Pirate whimpered, his claws trembling. "P-Please…"

"Therefore," Samus continued, ignoring the Pirate's protests, "I'd say that I have the right to do with you as you would have done to an innocent child." She walked forward, almost pressing the barrel of her arm cannon directly into the Pirate's face. "But you were right in one regard. Here _will_ do just fine."

"_Please!_" the Pirate begged. "Y-You can't do this!"

"Can't I?" Samus replied, a glow starting to form inside her arm cannon. Kreatz and Mauk stood by, their faces mixed with worry and astonishment.

"M-M-Mercy!" the Pirate screamed, throwing himself at Samus' feet.

Samus instantly felt her right hand ball into a fist inside her cannon, holding the charged shot until it was a glowing sphere at the end of the barrel. Her brow narrowed and her own cry for her mother followed by a familiar roar echoed in her mind.

"_You may call me Ridley…"_ the dragon whispered in her head.

"_Mercy?_" she whispered dangerously, disgusted at the sight of the groveling Pirate. Completely livid at the gall for such a repulsive creature to even demand such leniency, Samus felt her breath come out in a hiss as her face fumed. "And…what makes you think you _deserve it?!_" she screamed as she thrust her arm out further, pushing the ball of energy millimeters away from the face of the Pirate.

The alien screamed and closed his eyes, Kreatz and Mauk's jaws were agape in horror, and Samus mouth was clenched in a snarl as she prepared to release the trigger and send this creature back to the hell it crawled out of. Just as her fingers twitched slightly, she heard a slight sniffle above her own internal roar.

She looked up and her eyes widened as she saw the little girl, still in the woman's arms, bury her head in her arms, afraid to look upon the sight. The woman tried to shush the child but she started to cry, clearly terrified from Samus' yell. In that instant, Samus realized that she must not have looked any different to the girl. She had become just as frightening as a Pirate.

Slowly, she flicked her thumb at a control and the charged shot died down, the energy surging back up into the cannon. The Pirate at her feet had fainted by this point and Samus walked away from the alien in a daze.

"It's over," she gasped to herself, finding the words hard to utter for some reason. It felt like her windpipe was slowly loosening, as if she had been holding her breath the whole time. "It's over."

She slowly trudged over to the sobbing girl, watching her bravely gulp in air as she tried to calm down. Samus felt her eyes begin to water, the sweat mingling with her tears as she regarded the child thoughtfully. _She could've been just like me_, Samus realized. _She still has a home._

The group of people clustered around the girl looked up as Samus came closer and they instinctively backed up, intimidated at the sight of her in the Power Suit. Samus knelt down so that she could look into the girl's eyes, but she shyly looked away, unable to penetrate the blue visor that hid her face to the world.

_Oh, right_, Samus realized and opened up a portion of her mind, commanding the suit to dissipate. The child gazed in astonishment as the Power Suit began to glow brightly. The light dimming, a few collective gasps resounded as Samus' limber form was revealed. The girl herself seemed to be star-struck, her mouth wide open as Samus smiled kindly at her. For the girl, the probability that such a gentle looking human would be inside that terrifying suit of armor was never considered and she weakly returned Samus' grin.

Samus said nothing but held out her arms instead. The child, all hesitation vanishing, immediately ran over and hugged Samus tightly, now beginning to cry out of relief. Samus herself was getting a little emotional as well and she turned her body so that none of the colonists could see her crying as well. The other humans wisely took the hint and began to trudge off to check on the status of their friends, leaving the two in peace.

"Thank you," the child whispered, still clutching tightly to Samus. "Thank you, thank you, thank you."

"No," Samus spoke softly, entranced by the sweet girl. "Thank _you_. You helped me as well, you know."

"I…I did?" the child mumbled in surprise, her eyes sparking from her tears.

"Yes, you did. You reminded me that I had the potential to be a better person today. You helped me remember a powerful lesson today. And I will never forget it."

_I'm not a monster, Ridley. I don't kill for sport. Already, I'm better than you._

"What's your name?" Samus asked the child.

"Damara," she responded with a smile. "What…what's yours?"

"My name is Samus. It's a pleasure to meet you, Damara."

The child beamed as she hugged Samus again out of pure gratitude. "Does this mean we're friends, Samus?"

"Yes it does!" Samus laughed. "And now that we've just started to become friends, we're never going to stop!"

The Pirate had recovered from his little spell by this point, and groggily lifted up his head. Confused as to why he was still alive but opportunistic nonetheless, the fat alien began to stand up after he confirmed that Samus was nowhere in sight, but barely got an inch before a huge foot slammed down on his back, pinning him down to the ground.

"And where do you think _you're_ going?" Mauk grinned as he stood over the Pirate.

"Eep!" the Pirate could only utter. The alien then found his arms being pulled to the front and gaped in horror as Kreatz slapped a pair of electro-cuffs around his wrists, the bands crackling with energy.

"Haha!" Kreatz laughed in victory. "I've been wanting to say this for a while now." He cleared his throat as Mauk lifted the Pirate up to his feet. "In the name of the Galactic Federation Police, you are under arrest for…for…" Kreatz blanched. "Uh, Mauk? What exactly are we charging this guy for?"

"How about murder?" Mauk offered.

"I don't know…did we see this guy commit murder specifically?"

"Well, he did order an almost-murder."

"Does that really count?"

"You think anyone's going to care?"

"Fair point," Kreatz nodded before he cleared his throat again as he now returned to addressing the Pirate. "So, you're being charged with murder and you have the right to a trial. Until the commencement of said trial, you have the right to safe conduct during your period of restraint. Is there anything you wish to say before you enact your right to remain silent?"

"I want a lawyer," the Pirate grumbled, clearly unconvinced.

"Woah, woah, _woah!_" Kreatz laughed. "I didn't say that you'd be getting a _fair_ trial there, pal. You see, since the rest of your buddies have declined to be a part of our Federation, we have no peers of yours to draw from. Besides, no lawyer is going to want to represent _you_ anyway."

"This is a violation of my basic rights," the Pirate yowled. "I demand the right to an attorney."

"Save it for when we get the kangaroo court up and running," Kreatz muttered darkly as he and Mauk strong-armed the Pirate away.

Mauk rolled his eyes. "Figures. The one bad guy we capture and he just so happens to be versed in law. This day was going _so_ well, too."

* * *

Bang on the dot, the reinforcement arrived near the beachhead, three shuttles flying in tight formation. The first one landed next to where Samus, Kreatz, Mauk, and their new prisoner were standing. A pair of armored troopers quickly walked out and shuttled the protesting Pirate up the ramp, presumably to a holding cell. The remaining three stayed where they were and straightened up when a short, balding man stomped down the ramp.

Chief Hardy always seemed to be in a perpetual grumpy mood and this day was no exception. He was taller than Kreatz by at least a few inches but Samus and Mauk still managed to tower over their supervisor. His twin tufts of hair on both sides of his mostly bald head, as well as his bush mustache, were jet black and unkempt. The man must have forgone any grooming this morning.

"What the hell did all of you _do?!_" Hardy bellowed, not wasting any time in dragging his temper out. "I specifically seem to remember ordering you three to stay put! _To stay put!_ How difficult can that be to screw up? What do you think I'm going to do to you now?!"

"These things happen, Chief," Kreatz shrugged before Samus could explain herself. He shot her a wink before Hardy could turn his wrath onto her. Besides, Kreatz enjoyed pushing Hardy's buttons. "The situation changed and we reacted. It was a judgment call, so there was no time to run it by you. As far as what you're going to do to us, I'd say a 'thank you' would be a good start."

Hardy's face turned purple. "If it weren't illegal, I'd beat the living _snot_ out of you this instant, private! I could court-martial you and discharge you on the spot right now but that _still_ wouldn't satisfy me!"

"Still waiting on that 'thank you,' Chief."

"What you're going to wait on," Hardy screamed, "is for me to return after I tie you to a stake in the middle of the desert after tattooing the word 'orders' across your chest!"

"Nice imagery there, Chief," Kreatz laughed. "But you have to admit that we technically accomplished the main objective without getting any of the colonists killed, plus we managed to acquire a valuable hostage. I'd say that's a win-win for us."

Kreatz then cowered as Hardy laid into him with all of the wind in his lungs, the noise even attracting the attention of a few troopers from across the bay. Samus and Mauk edged away from the balding man who was in the middle of chewing Kreatz out and retreated back towards the shore, still able to hear Hardy's bellows.

It took ten minutes for Hardy to speak his mind to Kreatz and by that time, the chief had shouted himself hoarse but Kreatz had escaped punishment, despite the commotion. Rubbing at his throat, Hardy caught Samus' eye and waved her over, most likely to get her own version of the story. She took a breath, mentally acknowledging that she was not going to lie, that she was the one who had screwed everything up in the first place. She trudged across the sand and blinked as she saw a uniformed man standing next to the chief.

This new arrival wore the markings of a general, causing Samus' breath to escalate in frequency. His hard jaw was set and his brown hair was neatly combed underneath his cap. His eyes were stern and carried a rigidness about him. Samus gave the general a meek nod before turning to Hardy.

"Corporal Aran," Hardy said as he jerked a thumb towards the general. "I called you over here to introduce you to the man who had been overseeing the entire operation from the beginning. Apparently, he wanted to gage the members who pulled off this little…_stunt_…which in turn prevented him from using the battleship allocated for such a purpose."

"Well, it did save on ammunition which saves the taxpayers some money," the general shrugged as he removed his cap, revealing a thick head of slicked back hair. "Although the tactics were a bit unorthodox, I can't deny that the results were impressive."

"_Hmph_," Hardy snorted before he swallowed to calm himself. "Corporal Aran, this is…"

"_Malkovich_," the general extended a hand to Samus. "General Adam Malkovich."

* * *

_**A/N: I extended the political sections in the adaptation as they provided an interesting look at what was going on outside the games as a way to come up with more natural dialogue rather than repeat verbatim what the manga reads.**_

_**Also, I changed the fact that Kreatz and Mauk fight with different weapons here as the manga depicts them using other means to attack their foes. For example, Mauk is depicted as using his colossal strength as his weapon while Kreatz uses some kind of whip thingy that always seemed a little too over-powered in the manga. Besides, long range weapons seem to be the norm in the Metroid universe so I wrote the two characters to have weapons to be more befitting to the universe, as well as their stature. And yes, I did change Kreatz's catchphrase because it always sounded corny in the manga. (To me, at least)**_

_**Apart from the usual extended scenes, those seem to be the main areas that I changed in this chapter. Hopefully these decisions seem well-founded to you all.**_

_**As always, please read and review. I'm eager to hear your thoughts on how I'm progressing through this.**_

_**LawrenceSnake: Never did see "Batman and Robin" (thankfully, as I'm not that masochistic) so the connection to one of those lines never even registered on me in the beginning. But, I'm sure Samus will make a redeeming line at the end anyway, so I wouldn't worry too much. Also, regarding the portrayal of Samus' strength, I understand why that scene in the previous chapter might rankle some viewers, but I thought that having Samus blow up the droids by shooting them one by one would be a fitting callback to the beginning of the chapter, when she wasn't able to hit them at all with her beam. Plus, it is not my intention to portray Samus as weaker than she is, but I think that a slower buildup to that strength is immensely preferable than showing it all off in the second chapter.**_

_**Of course, all that is my opinion. Key word: opinion.**_


	4. Chapter 4: Threat

Samus walked over to the cliff edge, crossing her arms as she breathed in the salty air. The wind from the ocean blew in her face and she looked down, smiling at what lay before her.

A mere week after the Pirates had been defeated on Jigrad, it looked like things were just about back to normal for the colony. Samus could see the lower market bustling at full swing, watching the crowds gather amongst the vendors, congregating in the streets. If she looked to the left, she could see the landing zone where the Federation had two main shuttles currently parked where several soldiers were offloading supplies for the colonists. The place was bustling with activity and the fear that had been set upon them prior had been thrown off like a blanket.

It seemed that life had been restored to this place, a definite victory against the Space Pirates. Samus knew that this could be critical for demonstrating their might in the future. Now the Pirates would be more cautious for their next attack as they now knew that they could be beaten.

The temple that the Pirates had made the colonists build sat on top of the tall cliff, unfinished. A few Federation troopers were going through it in the hopes that some Pirate technology could be acquired, but otherwise it sat unchanged. Samus felt that if it wasn't located so close to the colony, she would have ordered a battleship to blow the damned thing up. It was an eyesore, a painful reminder amongst a planet of innocents.

"Ironic, isn't it?" she said out loud.

"Hmm?" Kreatz muttered distractedly as he hefted one of the Pirate detection poles in his arms, most likely trying to determine how much he could sell it for on the black market.

"Think about it," Samus pressed as she gestured to the large building. "The colonists built this thing because the Space Pirates forced them too, and now the Federation is in control of it. I guess it goes to show that nothing in life is ever simple, is it?"

"True," Kreatz shrugged. "But there is also the fact that whomever the Federation hires to dismantle the thing gets to make a profit. So, in the end, who ends up owning what?"

Samus kicked out and snapped the remaining pole like it was a twig. Mauk's eyes widened as the pole rolled away, but Samus didn't change her expression. "It's all about opportunity," she sighed. "We live in a galaxy where circumstances change when you least expect them to."

She scraped her feet in the dirt and continued to look out over the colony. Samus could see some of the kids playing in the ocean nearby and immediately spied the raven-haired Damara amongst the group. As if fate had determined this moment, Damara turned in Samus' direction and also managed to spot the unmistakable shock of blond hair that Samus let trail behind her head. The child managed a tiny wave and Samus waved back, feeling better already. She was growing to like it here.

The three walked down the steps toward the beach, done with their surveillance for the day. Samus walked quickly ahead towards the shuttles while Kreatz and Mauk opted for a more relaxed gait. The surf lapped at their heels, cooling them off. The calls of birds echoed from the forests beyond and suddenly Samus was dimly reminded of the vast wildlife that had covered her home planet, K-2L. She wondered if that entire world was still livable or if the Federation had abandoned it entirely.

They made to stride up the ramp of the lead shuttle, but found Chief Hardy already waiting for them. "There you are!" he shouted from the top, his bushy mustache flapping as he moved his mouth. "I've got a new assignment for all of you. General Malkovich has requested your presence for the interrogation of the prisoner you've provided us with and I told him that you would be here within the hour."

"Why hasn't he done it by now?" Kreatz asked from the foot of the ramp. "It's been a week, chief. Surely the general has had all the time he needed to interrogate the damn guy himself."

"He hasn't, but he's getting on it right now!" Hardy yelled, looking like he was about to jump up and down in agitation. "We're to participate in this event with the general in attendance so get all of your asses up here! This is an important event that has not necessitated joint cooperation but we are being allowed to oversee it due to your…imaginative efforts."

Kreatz smirked, enjoying himself to no end. "You do realize that's a muddling of jurisdiction, chief?" he hollered, not budging up the ramp. "We're the military police, he's the army. You sure we've got the clearance to be handling something like this?"

"_Kreatz!_" Hardy screamed. "I swear upon my very mother that I will not hesitate to throw you in the brig without rations for your continuous smart-ass attitude! We have the clearance and we are constantly being judged by your stalling! _Get up here_ or I will see to it that you will be thrown back to the academy where the DIs can have all the fun with you that they want after I permanently bust you back down to a private!"

"You think you overdid it that time?" Samus asked as she arched an eyebrow after Hardy had departed.

"Eh," Kreatz shrugged, "If Hardy's reactions weren't so entertaining then I wouldn't bother busting his ass every time I see him."

"You are going to wind up in the brig one of these days," Mauk warned.

"Perhaps, but I'll be having a laugh anyway."

"You can be hopeless sometimes," Samus shook her head as she ascended the ramp. "I, for one, want to see this for myself."

"You want to find out more about the Pirates, Samus?" Mauk asked while Kreatz scratched the back of his neck.

"Why not?" she asked earnestly. "It's the first time we've ever had the chance to interrogate one of them, so why not take the opportunity?"

"I can think of a reason," Kreatz grumbled. "How about, instead of talking to a Pirate, we watch the latest Federation broadcast that's supposed to happen any minute now? They're about to announce our victory live from the capital to the entire congress. I want to hear my name uttered so that I can record it and send the clip to Hardy every hour of every day until he gives me a medal or my 'thank you.'"

"You can always catch a rerun," Samus sighed as she dragged Kreatz up into the shuttle. "Let's _go_."

* * *

Keaton had to admit, this was one of the times that Vogl actually deserved to wear his regal getup. The chambers were fully packed this time, a rarity during Keaton's tenure, and all of the congressmen were eagerly leaning forward as they waited to hear their chairman broadcast the good news.

With his gold and purple robe, Vogl looked like the emperor of a powerful dynasty rather than the leader of a democratically elected Federation. The vidscreens projecting heroic images above him dimly reminded Keaton of a totalitarian rally, one that relied on pure propaganda to drive its forces forward. It was an impressive sight, but Keaton felt that he was the only one who had removed the wool from his eyes, knowing that such grand displays could only get them so far. But, it had been such displays that had gotten them into this mess in the first place, he had to concede.

Vogl opened his large mouth, revealing four pointed canines, and bellowed to the stuffed chambers, "My fellow congressmen! People of the Federation! We have done it!" That bought him a loud roar from the audience, but none from Keaton.

Vogl waved his hands and everyone began to quiet. "Through our preemptive efforts," he announced, "justice has managed to conquer evil at long last!" Now wild applause echoed and even Keaton gave his own, albeit rather stiffly. He looked down from the balcony upon which he stood, noting that he was the only congressman who wasn't in his seat. Was it the claustrophobic notion of cramming himself into the seat that deterred him so or was it the hidden meaning that Vogl obscured behind rhetoric and imagery?

Now, projected on the vidscreen, a green and blue planet sat unblemished, unviolated. The Federation logo appeared behind it, creating more raucous approval. "Jigrad!" Vogl yelled. "This is where the Space Pirates thought they could exert their control over our colonists. They thought that their status as a creature spun from a bedtime story would play to their advantage. _But not this time!_"

"_YES!_" the audience screamed, eager for more.

"Through the efforts of our police forces on this planet, we have shown these so-called Space Pirates that they are _not_ beings worthy of our fear! That they _cannot_ run roughshod over the Federation! That, like a cornered animal, we _will_ fight back if threatened, and we will fight back hard!"

Each point bought him louder and louder screams of admiration, and Keaton leaned back against the chamber exit, disgusted.

"Today is a victory for the Federation!" Vogl proclaimed to all the rows in the chamber. "Today we have sent the Space Pirates a message regarding our true strength! They attack our colonies because they are too _cowardly_ to fight us on even ground! They are too _scared_ to face our full might! Now, I say that we keep that momentum going, that we make sure that they never catch us with our guard down again!"

Keaton lifted his head, shocked at what was about to be uttered in this very hall. The entire chamber seemed to be on the edge of their seats, their self-control becoming strained at the seams.

Vogl was feeding off the crowd's energy, becoming more and more animated. "No one would dare stand against the Federation because we refuse to let evil go unconquered. And, to all of you, I proclaim that, in order to attain more victories against this scourge of the galaxy, I am officially enacting a declaration of war! Now the Pirates will reap what they sow and we will push them back to whatever hole they crawled out of! _Glory to victory! Glory to the Federation!_"

"_GLORY! GLORY! GLORY!_" the congress members cried, eventually transitioning the chant into, "_VOGL! VOGL! VOGL!_"

The huge chairman kept his arms raised in the air, an enormous smile upon his face. His fingers grasped the air as if they were plucking the adoration out from it. Meanwhile, Keaton continued to linger on the balcony, horrified as the members of the congress began to rise up and applaud. Keaton, unwilling to see one more second of this farce, shoved his hands into his pockets and shouldered open the nearby door. He quickly walked down the polished hallways, headed towards his quiet office so that he could ponder without being disturbed.

"And thus it begins," he muttered to himself. "But will this mean the destruction of the Pirates, or the Federation itself?"

* * *

Zebes

Old Bird huffed as he glanced at his datapad, reading the news that had just come from the galactic capital. So, it seemed that the Federation had chosen to declare a state of war against the Space Pirates. He frowned and his face fell, disappointed at the reaction of that poorly guided body. Well, everything was out of his hands now. It was a good thing that they had prepared for such an eventuality beforehand.

The old Chozo felt something clambering up the back of his leg and he smiled as Pyonchi perched himself on Old Bird's shoulder. He heard a whirring noise and Mother's camera monitor hovered near his head. "The elders have gathered, Old Bird," Mother reported.

"Yes, I know," Old Bird said as he began to scratch Pyonchi's head. He placed both feet on a circular section of the floor and it began to levitate itself upward with him on top. He raised a story and quickly found himself in the presence of nine other Chozo elders who had taken the room above the main Tourian chamber.

"My friends," Old Bird greeted as he stepped off the platform, the lights of the databanks casting an eerie glow upon him. "It brings me great pleasure to see you all again and relief that you have managed to return home safely."

"As it does for us," the eldest member, Platinum Chest, said. "It seems that the galaxy is rapidly becoming a dangerous place, what with the Federation and the Pirates becoming bold in their tactical maneuvers."

The other elders nodded gravely, Old Bird among them. "You may be more right than you know, Platinum Chest. The galaxy has been a dangerous place for a long time now. Long enough that true peace is still only a glimmer on the horizon for us."

"As it has been for centuries," Platinum Chest sighed. "In that time, we have only our age to show our progress."

"And we cannot halt the inevitable any further," Old Bird said. "War is approaching, and our time is nearing its end. All we have done to expand our lives has been a fruitless effort, in all honesty. We had initially thought that the Federation would usher in the peace we so hoped to achieve, but it did not grow to the level that we anticipated, and thus we could not deliver our true message."

Platinum Chest tilted his head in apprehension. "Old Bird…what are you saying?"

"What I am referring to is that our final effort as a species should be to destroy the evil waiting to strike, to seek it out and eliminate it before it engulfs the galaxy. The Federation was blind this whole time while our eyes were open enough to see things clearly."

"And what is it that you are proposing? How can we defeat the Space Pirates, Old Bird?"

Old Bird shook his head slowly. "I am not speaking of the Space Pirates, Platinum Chest. There is actually a force in this galaxy that is capable of far greater cruelty than those misguided savages. An organism with no regard for compassion or fear, but simply hunger. Mother, if you please."

The circular monitor floated towards the middle of the group and pointed its lens upward. A rectangular image soon blared out of thin air and focused on a circular rock, brown and red from the deserts coating the surface. Pyonchi climbed down from Old Bird and sat on his haunches as he too watched the footage.

Old Bird waved a hand at the world on the screen. "I'm sure you all are aware of this planet, SR-388. It is a garden world teeming with life, but it is also home to something that, if it managed to escape the surface, would spell doom for the entire galaxy."

The image shifted and a lush jungle floor was projected on the screen. The ground was teeming with life, plants of all shapes and sizes coated the ground so thickly that the actual soil could not be seen. Sunlight streamed through the humid air, illuminating a morning mist as the interior of the forest gradually became warmer. Dew clung to the leaves of the trees, steadily dripping off as the slightest breath of wind passed over them.

Suddenly, a blur moved past the camera but the focus shifted onto the creature that had disturbed the scene. The animal looked vaguely amphibian at first, twice as big as Pyonchi. It had a purple body and light blue legs. Its back was coated with a rocky substance and its mouth was filled with tiny, pointed teeth. It used its only pair of legs to hop around the jungle, propelling it admirable distances to get where it needed to go.

"This is a hornoad," Old Bird gestured to the creature on the vidscreen. "For our purposes of cataloguing the environment, our initial focus was observing this animal so that we could make a proper accounting of the planet's wildlife. But, what you'll soon see is that we managed to capture something else entirely while filming this particular subject."

On the screen, the hornoad appeared to notice something and sniffed the air in curiosity. Apparently, it did not like what it smelled and quickly made a squeak as it hopped away, faster than before. The hornoad bounded across the mossy ground and quickly found a cave, almost hidden by the wealth of vines draped over the entrance, and hurried into it.

"It was chased…" Platinum Beak mused. "But by what?"

"By _that_," Old Bird pointed.

Unfortunately for the hornoad, the cave it had selected for refuge was shallower than it had anticipated and it quickly ran into a dead end. Cornered, the creature made many high pitched squeals of panic as a blurry object floated into the cave and zoomed straight for it. The hornoad had nowhere to run and cried out as a gelatinous object collided with it. The creature flew backward in pain, but as quickly as it came, the mysterious object had vanished as soon as it had made contact with its skin. The hornoad fell backward, blinking in panic, trying to lay eyes on its pursuer without realizing that it had disappeared entirely. The Chozo blinked, certain that they had missed something in the footage.

"Old Bird…" Platinum Chest gasped. "What _was_ that?"

"That," Old Bird said somberly as he paused the video, "was a parasite. It was discovered on SR-388 some twenty years ago by our researchers. It appears to be a species native to that planet only, but its natural properties have the capability for great destruction. You see, the parasite managed to penetrate the hornoad's skin at the exact moment of contact, much like any other virus or bacteria, which is why you could no longer see it after it had infiltrated through the epidermis."

"So what exactly is this parasite capable of? And why have we never heard of this mysterious species until now?"

"It was deemed that the danger this parasite presented was not virulent to the point where we felt that a wide notification would be necessary, of which I'll explain later. The species is still confined to its native planet, but we had already begun to make efforts to combat this plague shortly after its initial discovery. As to this parasite's capabilities, just watch."

Old Bird began playing the video again and the Chozo elders could see the effects of the hornoad's absorption of the parasite take effect almost immediately. The creature sunk down, yowling in pain, its eyes glazed over. It looked to be dreadfully sick, as if it had jumped into a fever in only ten seconds. But, very quickly, it appeared that the hornoad's skin was bubbling, distorting like wax. The creature howled as it appeared to boil before the eyes of the Chozo. They all sat, rapt with a combination of fascination and horror as they watched the sight unfold.

And then, something tore itself from the hornoad itself. It looked like its skin had begun to render itself apart and an unidentifiable mass suddenly ripped itself from the main body, a blur of flesh and blood escaping into the air. The hornoad gave one final cry as it looked to be torn to pieces from the invader's departure. Its eyes burst and dribbled down its snout, its bones cracked and crumbled, and its cavity burst apart with a watery pop. The remains sunk down to the ground, a hollow shell now.

But the intruding mass still floated in mid-air, trailing the hornoad's blood. It lingered above the still warm corpse, as if it took pride in its kill. But, it wasted no time in shifting its shape, the yellow glow embedded inside it gradually becoming dimmer. Projected deep in the heart of Zebes, the object with no discernable shape morphed into something different, sprouting two bent legs from itself as the rest of it shrunk to shape a familiar body. From the gelatinous mass, two beady eyes sprouted out and a mouth protruded from the dripping material. The entire process only taking less than a minute, a new hornoad soon sat on the jungle floor in place of the old one, with no trace of the parasite that had come before it to acknowledge its existence.

"It took on its appearance…" Platinum Chest whispered in shock.

"Yes," Old Bird nodded. "But look harder. Notice how this hornoad has sharper teeth, a more angular nose, and more powerful arms for leaping? This parasite not only copied its host, it modified itself almost instantaneously so that it would be evolutionary advanced for one thing: killing."

"How is such a thing possible?"

"We have reason to believe that this parasite," he projected a more clear view of the species itself on the screen, "has the ability to genetically copy a host perfectly. It inserts its virulent strands into the DNA of a host, extracts the necessary information, and replicates it seamlessly. However, the process kills the host, as we just saw in the footage, but it manages to improve the host's appearance and traits, presumably from inserting its own genes into the DNA sequence or by eliminating junk strands that are useless to the parasite. Our best guess is that some form of digestion takes place from this replication in seconds, as this is the only time we have observed the parasite making an effort to consume energy."

The parasite on the screen morphed constantly, like a liquid in zero gravity. It had a golden glow about it and inside its soft surface spiraled tiny strands like miniature comets. The Chozo gazed wearily at the diagram, their feathers wilting.

"Furthermore," Old Bird continued, "additional research performed on this subject revealed a startling discovery. The parasite, taking the form of the hornoad, followed the exact same hunting patterns as its host did. It took the same trails, roosted in the same nest, which leads us to believe that this parasite has the ability to steal the _memories_ of the host. Whether or not the process is simpler or harder for more intelligent lifeforms is another matter entirely but we cannot under-exaggerate the potential danger this parasite brings to the galaxy."

"What are its breeding habits, Old Bird?" Platinum Chest asked.

"Troubling. The parasite produces asexually and there is no distinction whether a smaller unit can incite a less severe reaction than the one we just saw in the footage."

"The galaxy could be completely dominated by this," Platinum Chest mused. "If this parasite could infiltrate a population and mimic it, it might replicate almost indefinitely. It could have the potential to enact a galaxy-wide panic as it could overthrow governments if left unchecked."

"It is the perfect killing machine," Old Bird said. "Its blind hunger and callous disregard for anything except its own survival makes it a far greater danger than the Space Pirates could ever hope to achieve. We have not given it an official designation, but have dubbed it 'X' for the time being."

Platinum Chest shuffled in his seat, visibly uncomfortable. "You are right, Old Bird. This X parasite clearly is a danger, a controlled danger, but a danger nonetheless. Do you think that it would be prudent of us to inform the Federation about this menace? They might be able enact a quarantine on the planet to designate others to stay away."

Old Bird sighed as he held his walking stick close to his chest. He looked down at Pyonchi, who was staring back up at him in worry. He looked over to Mother's monitor, who was still hovering in its place, a cold indifference about it. Finally, he affixed Platinum Chest with a sad stare, his big eyes mournfully drooping downward. "No," he said at last. "It would be best for us _not_ to inform the Federation."

Murmurs erupted around the chamber in concern. "Why not?" Platinum Chest asked genuinely. "You've shown us all what this X parasite represents. Surely you would think it our duty to protect the galaxy by notifying the Federation of this threat?"

Old Bird emphatically shook his head. "Our duty would be best served by staying silent, my friend. If we were to inform the Federation of the X parasite, it would then draw the hidden danger into the public spotlight. Debates would erupt over this parasite and people will panic at the mere existence of a creature more dangerous than the Space Pirates. Also, we would be under scrutiny for suspicion of keeping the existence of X a secret, for which we are very well guilty. Enacting a quarantine would be the worst possible action to take in this case as there would be many in this galaxy, after learning about the parasite's ability to clone, who would undoubtedly use it for evil purposes. If the Space Pirates discover the parasite, they would try to infiltrate the Federation with it by placing X parasite representatives within the soldiers. It doesn't matter if any attempts by them succeed or fail but the mere thought that they _could_ pull it off frightens me to no end. Do you think that is a chance we should be willing to take?"

"No," Platinum Chest mused. "I suppose not." It was clear that he was unhappy about the idea, but he understood what Old Bird meant. The other Chozo were of a similar mind to Platinum Chest and also begrudgingly acknowledged the conundrum working against their favor.

"But fear not, my friends," Old Bird reassured. "For after six years of laborious work, the culmination of our efforts to destroy this parasite has finally come to fruition. You see, our weapon against X has finally been completed!"

"Weapon…?" Platinum Chest gaped. "But…that means…"

"Yes," a voice came from the corner of the chambers. All of the Chozo turned around to spot Gray Voice standing near the exit, but was accompanied by a floating vat that contained an unilluminated object within a bubbling fluid. "Our research has paid off, elders. With extensive help from Mother Brain, Old Bird and I have devised a method that will exterminate the X parasite from SR-388. What I have with me is a sample of that method."

The portable vat floated forward into the light and several of the Chozo visibly recoiled. Inside the container sat a creature slightly bigger than the X parasite that they had just witnessed, but with a more definite shape. Regardless, its thick, gelatinous membrane that covered most of its body immediately hearkened back to the virulent creature and it took a moment for everyone to realize that this was not the same species.

Inside the spherical membrane, instead of a shapeless void, were three bright red nuclei arranged in a tripartite fashion. Veins webbed out from these nuclei which helped give the creature form and shape. Underneath the nuclei were two pairs of mandibles, one that was larger and situated on the outside and a smaller pair that was located interior to the gaping mouth on the underside of the creature.

"Everyone," Gray Voice announced with pride, "I give you…_Metroid_."

The Chozo elders murmured in surprise and Old Bird swept his arm towards the vat with a flourish. "My friends, Metroid is the product of a lifetime of research and years of extensive trial and error. You see, Metroid has the capability to absorb the energy of their prey, much like a leech draws blood from a host. They are capable of defying gravity due to their propensity to create natural helium and they are also able to reproduce asexually, much like the X."

Pyonchi scurried away from the vat, his eyes wide in terror. Platinum Chest regarded the Metroid thoughtfully. "We were led to believe that the Metroid project was still in its infancy. You believe that Metroid is the only viable weapon against the X parasite, Old Bird?"

"Beyond a doubt. Because Metroid can absorb energy, X will perish simply by coming into contact with it. The parasite will be destroyed and the Metroid will exterminate the galaxy of this threat."

Another elder in the back stepped forward, cautious. "Old Bird, if the Metroids do manage to rid SR-388 of the X parasites, what would stop the Metroids from becoming a threat to the galaxy. It all sounds like you've just created another monstrosity that will simply take the place of X in this case."

"Your concerns are noted," Gray Voice spoke in lieu of Old Bird. "But Mother found a solution around that a long time ago. Yes, we were initially concerned with the ability to control Metroid, but our dear Mother came up with the idea to genetically program them all so that they would not attack a Chozo, or any other sentient being that we would specifically discriminate. If we were to release this one here," he gestured to the Metroid in the tank, "it would be as docile as…Pyonchi, for example." The rabbilis squeaked in concern, which bought it a smile from Old Bird.

"So when do you imagine we will be able to fully maintain a suitable population for Metroid?" the same Chozo asked. "The last few reports have maintained that the last few tests for Metroid proved unsatisfying in terms of their ability to successfully sustain themselves."

"And those problems have since been corrected," Old Bird proclaimed proudly. "You see, we have managed to achieve a stable population on SR-388 two years ago. We brought them there with Mother's latest genetic programming and I can state that a successful colony has been produced. Even now, we are preparing the latest iteration of Metroid, right here in Tourian!"

The Chozo elders looked around the room in concern, something that Gray Voice noticed. "I understand your doubts," he assured, "but Metroid is perfectly safe. The one you see right now is merely an infant, not suitable for it to be unleashed in the wild yet. But, through our care and nurture, we will cultivate our most ingenious weapon so that the X will never see another planet before the sun sets on their final day."

"This is merely the first step toward achieving our final plan," Old Bird announced. "The time of the Chozo is about to end, but we have to make sure that the foundations to securing peace in the galaxy will be laid down before we depart. This means that we must entrust our final will to the hands of Metroid and our other child, Samus."

Mother's monitor hovered back and the elders gave nods of confirmation. "Samus will oversee Metroid in our stead," Old Bird continued. "She will pass on our final wishes when the time comes to relay them to her. My friends, the legacy of the Chozo shall endure!"

Old Bird looked around the chamber at his colleagues' smiling faces for one moment before the entire room rumbled just slightly. Everyone noticed the tiny disturbance, however, and they began to look around in confusion. A tiny crumbling sound was heard as pebbles dislodged from the ceiling hit the polished floor.

"Alert!" Mother rang shrilly. "Proximity warning! Unaffiliated warship closing in on Zebes' atmosphere!"

"Clarify," Old Bird ordered as the monitor raced toward him.

"Electromagnetic profile has detected the signature of a Space Pirate mothership," Mother reported. "Additional gravitational forces detected. Sensor fluctuations currently malfunctioning. This appears to be standard of a micro black hole device aimed at the shield generator. Planetary shield strength at 72% and falling."

"It isn't possible…" Old Bird whispered just seconds before a crash echoed throughout the chamber. A piece of the ceiling shook free and plummeted to the floor. The elders scattered, getting out of the way just moments before it collided with the metal plating, sending shockwaves hurtling through the room.

Old Bird was thrown to the floor, as was everyone else. He hit the ground hard and gasped as his walking stick skidded away. Weakly, he began to sit himself up just in time to witness a light fixture smash down on the corner of the vat that housed the Metroid, shattering the clear bubble in which it was encased. Glass tinkled down and embryonic fluid gurgled onto the floor. There was a hint of antiseptic in the air and it made Old Bird's nose itch.

From the shattered remains of its cage, the Metroid floated upward and remained stagnant, feeling the air on its skin for the first time. But, before anyone could snap out of their paralysis, the Metroid gave a shrill cry, spread its mandibles wide, and zoomed toward the Chozo.

* * *

_**A/N: Some of these chapters in the manga are shorter than the others, which means shorter chapters in the adaptation, but I think I can hit my minimum word limit for these easily.**_

_**There really wasn't anything that was changed too dramatically in this chapter. Extended scenes seem to be the norm for me so I don't think it's worth it to describe every single minute line that I implemented into here. That just seems like a waste of time.**_

_**LawrenceSnake: I'm assuming you're referring to the gap that occurs within volume 2, not in between volumes (which technically will occur after the next three chapters). To answer your question, I am planning on doing something that at least references what happens between that specific passage of time. It will also include a deliberate decision by me that will change the plot dramatically. Whether or not it can be pulled off is another matter, I'm still toying with the idea but I think that many people will like what I have in mind.**_

_**TheBarbarianKing: Yes, the Pirates were performing slavery, but the little conversation between Kreatz and Mauk was intended to inject some levity after being super-serious for the entire chapter. Besides, it was their first time arresting someone so it could be expected that they could forget the proper procedure of how to properly state their rights. (Think "21 Jump Street" in that regard)**_


	5. Chapter 5: Crisis

Three miles across and just as tall, the Pirate mothership looked like a large mountain that had been uprooted from the earth rather than a spacefaring vessel. Tiny pinpricks of light shone across its uneven surface, windows that denoted that the odd-looking structure was indeed artificial and nothing made by nature's hands. It stood amongst the void, mighty and peerless, with all the strength and might of an entire race behind its safe walls.

The ship was merely a dot compared to the planet it currently was in a geosynchronous orbit above, however. Zebes sat undaunted to the ship's presence, silently daring for the Space Pirates to proceed with their nefarious work.

Answering the unsaid call, a large hatch from the bottom of the mothership slid open, revealing nothing but blackness inside the depth of the sinister vessel. Almost immediately, the craft began to shudder microscopically and a small section of the planet's surface below it began to ripple, caught in a gravitational vortex.

The micro black hole that the mothership hid within its walls began to feed, sucking in whatever was projected in its path. The invisible shield that wrapped upward into the ship protected the vessel containing it from collapsing into the singularity. Finding nothing but the planet to draw from, its hunger drew it closer, distorting the clouds and the ground below as the air around the affected area began to ripple. The planetary shield encasing Zebes sparked furiously, trying hard to prevent the mothership from breaching its defenses. But no matter how hard the shield tried to hold, it began to bend toward the tiny tear in the fabric of space, stretching the protective bubble that surrounded the Chozo homeworld.

When it seemed the shield could take the stress no longer, it stretched like putty one final time before it burst with a crackle, very much like a bubble. Electricity traveled down the planet's atmosphere, coinciding with the failure of the shield generator. With no protection for the planet, the black hole began to suck at the rocky ground miles below, causing havoc with the tectonic plates as they shifted against the strong gravity.

Watching the entire situation play out on the monitors, housed safely inside the confines of his own private chamber, Ridley smirked as his readouts told him that they had breached the shield. Everything was going according to plan.

"Cut all power to the micro black hole!" he ordered, his teeth gnashing together. "Seal it away and divert power to our own defensive systems. We don't want the surface to be damaged too badly."

"Yessir!" the intercom buzzed hastily. The comm operator sounded _fearful, _actually. That was good.

The giant dragon waved his spiked tail and flexed his enormous wings. There was still a little stiffness that he had not been able to iron out fully after all these years, but he was combat capable nonetheless. His body was still flesh and blood but Ridley was a powerful beast. He could still fight even if half his body had been torn away. This time, there would be no setbacks. The fire would not consume him again.

"First wave of troops have departed, Lord Ridley!" the operator reported again. "ETA to Zebes' surface is seven minutes."

"Excellent!" Ridley crowed as he scanned the open space through his many viewports. The light from the stars was the only thing illuminating him, and it cast his profile in a sinister glow. "Send the second wave as soon as the first touches down. Ready the third and fourth ones and unleash them in regular intervals. Make sure nothing leaves that planet!"

"It will be done!"

Ridley cut the comm and flapped his wings, the sound loud in the quiet expanse. His blood was running hot with anticipation. He longed to kill something so badly that he could feel his bones itch. Carnage was in his very nature and the potential of having such impressive prey so close by was setting him on edge.

With a clawed hand, Ridley tapped on his nearby console and noted the results of the invasion so far. Penetration of the planetary shield had taken four and a half minutes, a good deal less than the last time he and his loyal Pirates had chanced upon Zebes. Despite the Chozo having strengthened their defenses since then, the improvements to the Pirates' arsenal had made short work of the shielding. Warfare was all about possessing the biggest stick, and right now Ridley was the one swinging it.

"Shattered…like an eggshell," Ridley remarked, chuckling at the analogy. "Ah, you miserable Chozo. How blind you are to not see amongst yourselves. Now…you will not be able to stop us. Your eradication will be our greatest victory and the Federation's most debilitating defeat."

He sighed, his gut rumbling with fire. Growling softly, he bared his teeth. "There will be no one to save you, you pathetic birds. I will tear out all of your hearts and hang your corpses from the ramparts!"

In the maddening silence, Ridley roared with laughter.

* * *

Planet Jigrad

The interrogation room was sparse, all white. It certainly reinforced the spartan qualities of any military ship, preferring function over fashion. As it was, only a circular table had been set up with only two chairs flanking it, both of equally mundane quality.

Those chairs were taken by General Malkovich and Chief Hardy as they purposefully sat on one side of the table. Samus, Kreatz, and Mauk stood behind them, their faces rocky and set as they stiffened their postures, trying to appear tough and disinterested.

On the opposite side, the Pirate prisoner sat in a body pod, a transport device typically reserved for dangerous criminals, completely encasing the alien. These pods were clear and floated a few inches above the ground, but were shatterproof and bulletproof so anyone encased inside one of them would have no chance of escaping or attacking their captors as their limbs could not escape from the miniature cage. The Pirate's hands were cuffed behind his back and his legs were scrunched uncomfortably against the interior of the pod. The only bit not covered by the pod was the Pirate's head, which was situated atop the seal of the pod, tightening around his neck for an airtight fit.

Hardy tapped a panel on the table and coughed loudly. The Pirate, who it looked like had just awoken from a nap, grumbled softly. "So…" Chief Hardy glared as he spoke into a recording device, "interrogation of captured subject on Jigrad, CY 2074, is now commencing one week after acquisition. Subject is a Space Pirate and currently nameless, so in that case…" Hardy looked up at the ceiling for a moment, "your official designation will be P-1 for the purposes of this interrogation."

"Simple," Kreatz shrugged. "I like it."

The Pirate said nothing except to provide a derisive snort. Hardy frowned and turned to the general. "Has this guy said a word since his incarceration?"

"Not that I know of," Malkovich shook his head. "He was isolated for an entire week and provided with the minimum allocation of rations to loosen his tongue. Apparently he didn't utter anything."

The rationing had looked to have taken a toll on the Pirate, though. Despite only having been confined for a week, the enlarged alien looked to have already lost a few pounds, either from his reduced caloric intake or out of sheer fright. He looked rather miserable, although it was most likely at being put in such a humiliating position in front of his enemies.

Hardy eyed the silent Pirate for a few more seconds before yawning in his seat. "Yeah, well it seems like P-1 ain't in a talking mood right now, general. I'd suggest you throw him back in the brig for another week, only feed him every other day, and-"

"I _have_ a name," the Pirate rasped, a dry cough leaking from his toothy mouth. He smiled at the humans' curious expressions. "You never bothered to ask me for my name, ingrates, before you so decided to impart a designation of your own design upon me. How…impolite of you."

Samus fidgeted, taking offense to the Pirate using the word "impolite" in front of her face. What the hell did _it_ know about being impolite?

"Would you like to enlighten us, then?" Hardy gestured, oblivious to Samus' mental plight. "For the record, of course."

"Of course," the Pirate mimicked a smile. "My name is-" The Pirate uttered a series of interconnected words in a string so quickly that it only registered as gobbledygook on the interrogators.

"Right," Hardy said unconvincingly as he rubbed at an ear. "I'm not even going to attempt to spell that, much less pronounce it again. I'm just going to keep you listed as P-1, despite your uh...disclosure."

"How incredibly small-minded of you," the Pirate named P-1 smirked. "I was not aware that you lot were so xenophobic. I'm rather offended at the treatment. I thought that I would be getting a little more respect from you guys, in all actuality. I'm guessing that this is the first time the Federation has ever been able to interrogate a living Space Pirate, much less _talk_ to one. So, where's the publicity? Where's the press? Don't you want more documentation for such a historic moment? I'm a bit disappointed, to be honest."

"Sarcastic _and_ a drama queen," Hardy muttered darkly. "Not what I was expecting to encounter when I woke up this morning."

Suddenly, everyone in the room jumped, sans Malkovich, as Samus slammed a fist down on the table. Her hand sunk an inch down in the material and the Pirate was wide-eyed as he saw the huge indentation on the table from the blow. Hardy looked panicked as he whirled to face Samus but she was dead-set on talking to this filth, her blue eyes ice cold.

"We're not concerned with your potential amount of broadcast time, you disgusting piece of garbage," Samus snarled. "What we want to know is your objective." She whirled a hand so fast that the Pirate flinched from afar but Samus only pointed to the side of the ship, gesturing outward. "Out there you had enslaved the local population to work on a structure of sorts," she spat. "You held them against their will, tortured them, killed them, and even did the same to their children. What was the point of all that? What did you think would happen in the end anyway? Those sorts of actions do not go by the Federation lightly, you know. We are fully aware of what you Pirates have been doing but this makes no sense to us. Now, tell us, what is your objective?"

The Space Pirate had gone from deathly afraid to confused, to incredulous in the span of twenty seconds. He looked at Samus in confirmation before he burst out in a flurry of giggles. Everyone on the other side of the table looked at one another in concern before focusing their attention back toward the prisoner.

"Ahh," the Pirate sighed. "I can see the problem already, you naïve chumps."

"Excuse me?" Samus said, shocked.

"It's simple," the Pirate said after he grinned broadly. "You all are trying to rationalize our behavior, the behavior of us Pirates, by foolishly thinking that we are like you in some way. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, kid, but our existence as a race is far more sophisticated than your pitiful Federation of allied and assorted species, believe it or not."

"We are nothing like you!" Samus said loudly, but the Pirate only laughed at that.

"Oh, no doubt. But this is the problem I'm referring to. You're speaking to me as if I'm somehow equal to you, that I should adhere to the same judicial process as any member in your precious Federation. You say we're not equal, but your actions speak differently."

Samus stepped forward, her fists clenched, but the Pirate's smile only widened further. "What are you going to do now, human? You going slip into that suit of armor again in an effort to intimidate me to hold my tongue? Won't work this time. Besides, I know it can be hard to hear the truth being spoken when all you've been fed your whole life is lies. All it takes is a willing ear, though. It's that simple to crumble an idea when the words are at your disposal."

"And would you care to describe what some of those lies might be?" Samus retorted, not blinking, but backed off at Hardy's concerned gaze.

"Don't encourage him!" Hardy hissed, but was it was too late to halt the Pirate's rant.

"If you wish," the Pirate attempted to shrug, but the clear pod made such an action difficult. "You Federation goons like to imagine yourself as higher beings compared to us, that your democratic system is inherently perfect as opposed to our 'fragmented, pathetic horde.' Well, you might find it difficult to accept that society for us is a little more structured than you would like to imagine, _or_ give credit for. We have castes, different functions for different individuals, but everyone adheres to their duties. All are aware of the share of their work that they must put in. It's simple and organized. The Federation, on the other hand, doesn't like to admit it, but they are so fragmented and heavily biased that it makes us Space Pirates appear to be the most civilized species in the entire galaxy!"

"_Pfft_," Kreatz snorted from the corner. "Typical Pirate bullshit. Of _course_ you're going to disparage us now that you're in a position that is currently undesirable. It's what anyone would do in your situation."

"Perhaps," the Pirate smirked. "But maybe an example will help reinforce my position. Let's start with the guy on your left."

Everyone whirled to face Mauk who blinked in confusion. The huge alien scratched at his arms uncomfortably, disliking all the attention placed onto him.

Meanwhile, the Pirate continued to gloat at Mauk. "If I'm not mistaken, _your_ species was only recently provided a place in the Federation, but it was only after decades of lobbying from your side. You would think that the Federation would accept new species at any time but for some reason they decided to wait over _twenty years_ before finally allowing you all your desired status. But, even still, your species still has not had enough time to adapt and have thus been discriminated as an inferior species in the eyes of your Federation. How many boots did you have to lick before they allowed you to enlist, Simian?"

"Why you little-" Mauk growled as he started to make his way forward.

"Whoa, Mauk!" Kreatz yelled as he hurled himself in front of the gigantic man. Kreatz was in no way strong enough to force the muscular Mauk from ripping the Pirate limb from limb but the large man relaxed at his friend's protective actions. "Don't fall for it, big guy," Kreatz assured. "He's just trying to get you all worked up."

"And don't think I've forgotten about _you_, you pointy-eared freak!" the Pirate cackled.

"The hell did you say to me?" Kreatz fumed as he now turned around, incensed.

"Oh, I'm sure you heard me just fine. Damn huge ears like those probably can't miss a thing."

"Ha…ha," Kreatz said tonelessly. "Use an old stereotype against me. You think I haven't heard that one before?"

"One never knows," the Pirate flashed a tight smile. "But I am also curious that someone like you would also be admitted into the military. After all, wasn't it _your_ race that began the Species War? Twelve radicals simultaneously bombed the capital with stolen citizen ships, was it? Last I heard, your race still continues to face unjust oppression, although it sounds more like _just_ oppression to me, considering the circumstances."

"_Shut up!_" Kreatz screamed as he stepped forward, Mauk ironically now trying to reel him in. "You don't have the right to judge me! Not by a damned Pirate like you!"

Safe in his pod, the Pirate licked its lips in victory. "You're wrong there, pal. I _can_ judge you just as you have judged me. Just as the Federation has judged _you_." He looked between Kreatz and Mauk. "You're not equal. In the eyes of the Federation, you just make up the lowest caste while they proclaim equality for all. It's all a farce, the professions of your organization. No matter how much you try to spin it, you will never be considered equal to these humans here. You're merely playing the part of the puppet while the elite species tug at the strings."

Kreatz glowered, Mauk sizzled, and Samus fumed. Only Malkovich was unmoved, his expression unchanged throughout the entire session as opposed to Hardy's worried glances.

Samus refused to let her slight trembling show in front of the Space Pirate. "Your continued claims of comparing us are baseless," she said lowly. "We don't enslave and slaughter innocent people. We don't raze colonies to the ground for sport. We don't deliberately kill people in front of the eyes of young children, forcing them to grow up and live without a childhood, without parents."

"That's what happened to _you_, isn't it?" the Pirate hissed triumphantly.

Samus' eyes widened in horror. She clamped her jaw shut out of fright and turned her head away. She had said too much. Her cheeks darkened, embarrassed that she had opened up like that in front of everyone…in front of a Space Pirate.

"So…you're a _survivor_," the Pirate nodded. "Then you should know exactly how useless the Federation is at protecting their own colonists. They failed to save every planet we conquered; they didn't even bother _warning_ them when definitive proof arrived of our proximity. You _know_ how badly the colonists attempted to protect their resources and their lives. And you're telling me that you were a part of that good for nothing lot?"

That last sentence hit Samus like a hammer, causing everything else to suddenly be drowned out. Her whole body turned back around to witness the Pirate lounging in his pod, that damnable smirk still on his face.

"Say that one more time…" she whispered, but with all the severity she could muster, "…and I'll kill you in this very room."

Hardy opened his mouth to reprimand her but chomped his jaw down on air, torn between procedure and the escalating situation.

The Pirate, however, did not appear fazed. "Oh, those aren't _my_ words, actually," he tittered. "I believe they were uttered verbatim within the Federation when the topic of colonists came up recently in a session. Perhaps you should confirm it for yourself before you go making idle threats. Someone's a little tetchy today, aren't we?"

Samus was seriously considering vaulting over the table and ripping the Pirate's throat out with her bare hands at the creature's arrogance. There was a rushing in her ears and she bounced on the balls of her feet, testing her limits, about to pounce when a hand rapped on the table, shaking her from her thoughts.

Malkovich's gaze was iron, his poise proper, giving him an air of confidence that seemed to shrink the Pirate. "You are avoiding the subject, P-1," he said in a threatening manner. "Your pointless analogies have gotten you and us nowhere in _this_ session. All we want to hear from you right now is your objective."

"Is that all?" the Pirate scoffed. "I suppose, for my troubles, you will free me out of the kindness of your hearts? Personally, I believe that you will instead put me away for the rest of my life in a Federation prison, delegated to waste away in a metal cage day in and day out."

"I can think of worse fates," Kreatz muttered under his breath.

Malkovich blew air out of his nose and temporarily drummed his fingers on the table. "Regardless of the outcome, I can guarantee that your style of treatment would be significantly better if you were to cooperate with us. But, that involves you providing us with the information we seek."

"You're going to have to be more specific if you want me to talk, soldier boy."

Malkovich now removed his cap and set it on the table in front of him. "All right, I can do specifics," he said without a trace of humor in his voice. "I can describe to you the lax nature of your operation on Jigrad, for starters. It is unheard of that the Space Pirates have lingered in a system after conquering it before and you had the colonists build a structure for no apparent reason. That's what worries me; you had no reason to stay. It all seems like you were actively trying to get our attention and were simply waiting in place for us to show up." He now cracked a grim smile. "I'd say that our 'victory' here was not exactly the sole product of our military skill, right?"

Throughout the exchange, the Pirate's expression had fallen further and further. Its eyes dropped and its mouth became a grimace. The combination of words plus the reactions from the Pirate gave Samus a start. She glanced at the prisoner and back to Malkovich in horror, her heartbeat now amplified tenfold. Her sweat ran cold and time seemed to slow.

"It was a diversion?" she croaked in disbelief. "You're a _decoy?!_"

The Pirate quickly scanned the faces of its interrogators. It found smug victory, apprehension, cold anger, worry, and fear all surrounding it. He blew out air in frustration. "Well…" he said dejectedly, "…it appears that you caught on quicker than I thought. I would have liked to have had more chances to push your buttons but it appears none of you are going to fall for that again. A damn shame."

"What is your target?!" Samus shouted as she sped over to the pod before grabbing it and shaking it furiously. "_What is your target?!_ Answer me, you bastard!"

"You still don't get it…" the Pirate managed to utter before Samus slugged him in the face. Blood dribbled out of the corner of his mouth and the alien spat out a shard of a tooth. "After that show in front of that girl, you're going to do harm to me now?"

"I'm not going to _kill_ you," Samus clarified as she raised her bloody fist again. "But I can break every bone in your body before you die in front of me. Now, _give me your target!_"

"You may think you're the hunter, but you've been the _prey_ the whole time," the Pirate wheezed. "Besides, even if I did tell you our objective, it's too late for you to do anything about it. Regardless, we're through here and our time together is now up."

Samus clenched her teeth together, about to ask what that meant when the Pirate's head suddenly began to glow in a hot blaze, turning white. Samus only had enough time to take a step back before the head of the alien suddenly exploded, showering the room with gore. Samus threw out her hands and blocked a few shards of skull from impacting with her eyes but warm brains coated her nonetheless. She gasped, shaking off the green goo as Hardy began cursing profusely as he tried to wipe off stringy flesh from his paperwork.

Malkovich yelled for a corpsman and Samus began to shake as the blood dripped off of her.

* * *

"There was no way we could have expected such a thing," Hardy sighed in the shuttle's mess. He passed Samus another towel and she grabbed at the cloth, wiping herself off after wetting it in the sink. "I didn't even think that the freaking Space Pirates would have had the foresight to implant one of their own for such an elaborate scheme."

"It worked, didn't it?" Samus sighed as she wiped the last of the gore off her forehead, picking at the dried goo with a finger. "You sure that the scans didn't pick up the explosive mesh when you brought him in?"

"They went over him twice when we brought him on board and found nothing that would indicate that his entire head was rigged to blow," Hardy grimaced. "This tells us that they have either found a way to mask such a device from our scanners, or that the mechanism is entirely organic. Either way, we don't know what caused it."

"We do know that we were suckered into this whole thing," Samus scowled. "And we're still no closer to determining the entire scheme that the Space Pirates have cooked up. We have nothing."

She threw the towel down onto a nearby table in a fury and made to leave. But before she could exit the mess, Hardy cleared his throat behind her. "Actually, Samus, that's not entirely true."

Samus' feet stopped in place. "What do you mean?"

Hardy looked very uncomfortable as he fiddled with his hands, laying them out on the table. "Samus, as soon as the interrogation with P-1 ended so abruptly, General Malkovich ordered the fleet to monitor all traces of suspicious comm activity and to relay them to him. Almost immediately, one of our deep space satellites picked up a signal on the emergency band."

"Where did it come from?" Samus asked, interested. "Was it from one of our colonies on the opposite side of the galaxy?"

"That was our initial assessment in the beginning, given the positioning of our resources, but no. The transmission originated from a planet in the Inner Rim."

Samus' eyes widened. "Did the signal identify the planet? Do you know where it came from?"

"Samus," Hardy reassured, looking more and more troubled as Samus' reactions. "The signal came from a place where we have no reinforcements in the immediate area. The source was _Zebes_, Samus."

Flashes of Old Bird, Gray Voice, and Pyonchi came to Samus in seconds. She clasped a hand to her mouth in horror and felt her center of gravity sink lower to the ground. The very idea that people she knew since she was little, the same people who had cared for her almost her entire life, were now in danger was _terrifying_. Samus quickly felt sick.

"That…" she shook her head in disbelief. "That can't be right, chief. How…how could Zebes be attacked?"

"Samus," Hardy said quickly as he held up his hands to assure the distraught woman. "I'm just telling you what we picked up. We have no proof that Zebes is the one being attacked but the importance of the target seems to coincide with the nebulous statements the Pirate made. We need to- wait, where are you _going_, Samus?"

"I'm going to find out for myself," Samus shot over her shoulder as she quickly walked out of the mess. Hardy glowered for a few seconds before he shot out of his chair and followed her down the hall.

"You can't just act on this by yourself, Samus!" he shouted after the woman. "This whole thing is out of our hands now!"

"Not from mine!" she yelled back as she stood in the hallway, below the flickering halogen lights. "Zebes is the only home I have left, chief. I'm not going to stand idly by while the Pirates burn it to the ground. Besides, I know that planet better than anyone else here! I _have_ to go and help the Chozo!"

"And I am telling you that you can't because a strike force has _already_ been prepped and deployed to Zebes, Samus!"

"What?" Samus whispered as she headed back over to Hardy. "What…what are you talking about?" She struggled to hide her torrent of emotions from the chief, refusing to let tiny droplets run from her eyes. She clenched her teeth in anger at her helplessness, at her so-called duty.

"I'm saying that it's not our job to interfere in the matter anymore. But you are right about one thing, Samus. The Federation agreed that the Space Pirates must not eliminate the Chozo civilization. As one of the founding species of the Galactic Federation, their loss will be a major blow to our morale. But the ruling body has determined that the needs of the Federation are above the needs of the Chozo, Samus. Now that we are aware of the potential location of the Space Pirates, no chances are being taken. The diplomats have spoken, the strike team is organized. All we can do now is wait."

"But I _can't_ wait!" Samus shouted, the noise drawing the attention of a passing aide. "You can't really expect me to sit idly by as the Space Pirates raze my home while the Federation flounders around in their mobilization! I can get there quickly, chief! I can infiltrate the planet and extract the survivors, I know I can! You just need to let me go…"

"I told you before; it's out of my hands!" Hardy yelled, startling Samus. Breathing heavily, he gave a regretful shake of his head. "I cannot act on this, Samus. No matter how wrong I think it is. And that means that you have to comply as well, despite your misgivings." He folded his hands behind his back and gave a infuriated huff. "Consider yourself _grounded_, corporal. I'm not about to let you wander away from this planet for some foolhardy quest that is only going to get you killed. On top of that, I'm not about to jeopardize a Federation sanctioned fully-scaled military strike within our core worlds! You will remain here, Samus, until the hostilities have concluded."

Before Samus could protest, Hardy turned and walked away, a meaty hand combing through his bushy mustache. Samus helplessly watched him go, an empty feeling tugging at her frame. She threw a hand against the side of the bulkhead to steady herself, fighting to control her trembling. She sniffled and a tear finally escaped her eyes, but was quickly brushed away.

Samus hated crying, it made her feel weak. She was reminded of the times when she was a child and she would begin bawling if she received even the slightest cut on a finger. Things were so much simpler then. Then the Space Pirates had come and thoroughly destroyed every shred of normality that she ever knew, forcing her into this life, a life that she never had any control over from the start.

And it was about to happen all over again.

Her eyes red, rimmed with anger, she pounded against the wall as she quickly began to tie her hair into a ponytail as she walked down the hallway. Her fingers working quickly, she could only hear the sound of her breathing as she headed through the doorway and up the staircase.

_No_, she thought. _It will not happen again. I'm not a helpless child this time. Now, I can make a difference._

Samus strode to her room, unwilling to be cowed.

* * *

The combat shuttle's top floor contained a miniature hangar where three fast attack craft were housed. As the shuttle was currently parked in atmosphere, the hangar doors were still open, exposing the tiny crafts to sunlight and the ocean wind.

From the central elevator shaft, the doors pinged once before they opened, revealing Samus in her military uniform. She looked in all directions until she was certain that she was not being monitored before she walked out onto the landing pad and closed her eyes, a warm light quickly enveloping her.

As the glow died, Samus sighed as she felt the familiar embrace of her Power Suit wrap around her like a second skin. It always felt like she was never wearing it, but she loved the strength that lay within it, appreciating the wonderful technology and how it was gifted to her. Her helmet had not materialized, as Samus felt that she did not need to wear it unless she was in a combat zone. Besides, it got to be stuffy in there from time to time, despite the innovative air recycling system.

She stretched her limbs, not hearing any creaks come from the powerful armor. Perhaps it was second nature which made her test it, but she did indeed know that the Power Suit melded with her body in a seamless fit each time she called it into existence. Still, it was always a good habit to double check equipment before heading out on a mission. After all, her instructors always pounded the mantra "everything breaks" into her head each day at the academy. No reason to ditch her training so soon.

All of the attack craft were of the same model and Samus decided that she would take the one in the middle. She found the entrance ramp already open in waiting and Samus was about to head up into the ship until she heard a sudden voice from behind her.

"So, Samus, you're going to let your personal emotions guide you to abandon your duty in spite of your orders?"

Samus dropped to a knee and raised her arm cannon so quickly that her hair whipped completely around her face. She was so into the heat of the moment that she did not realize until it was too late that she was now aiming a weapon at the head of General Adam Malkovich. She had been so determined to not get caught that she had let everything else be drowned out. A small part of her hesitated, but she kept her face locked, now fully committed to what she was doing.

"Don't try to stop me, general," Samus breathed, aiming down the sights of her weapon. "I have to go to Zebes and I won't let you or anyone else stop me."

The general did not so much as twitch a muscle. He stood perfectly still, his back straight, his cap perfectly aligned. He stared back at Samus just as intensely. For one brief moment, Samus could have sworn that the trace of a smile flitted over his lips but it soon vanished from view and from her mind.

Malkovich calmly clasped his hands behind his back, even as Samus continued to point her cannon at him. "You have forty-eight hours," he merely said.

Samus blinked. "W-What?"

"The attack fleet will arrive at Zebes in forty-eight hours, Samus."

Samus tilted her head forward, expecting more, but the general's mouth was now a hard line. She stared purposefully back, trying to see if she could find a hint to Malkovich's true motives from his expression. But, the general was completely unreadable, and Samus felt more and more foolish as she still kneeled in her defensive posture, waiting for him to make the next move.

Sensing the need for a cue, Malkovich reached up and tipped the brim of his officer's cap as he slowly turned around. "That will be all, lady," he said, but his tone was more respectful than sarcastic, Samus did note.

She did not get up out of her crouch until she saw that Malkovich had finally departed via the elevator. Quickly, before any more unexpected surprises could show up, Samus hightailed it to the tiny craft and tromped inside, closing the ramp behind her. She walked up to the cockpit doors, which slid open at her presence, and prepared to sit down at the helm, already planning about her next course of action.

The only problem was that her chair was already occupied.

Samus briefly twitched her gun again but relaxed as the two sitting in the front swiveled around in their seats, both wearing satisfied smirks on their faces. "Kreatz? Mauk?" Samus gaped. "What…what are you two doing here?"

"What does it look like?" Mauk shrugged. "We're coming to help you, is what we're doing here."

"And before you even try to protest, which I know you will," Kreatz said as Samus began to open her mouth, dumbfounded, "I just would like to point out that I will always have the burden of letting my squadmate go off on a dangerous mission by herself while all I did was lounge around and make my superior mad _if_ you do end up kicking us out of here."

"Kreatz…"

"Furthermore, this is yet another chance to prove to those damned Pirates that we _are_ better than them, that we fight to protect the people we care about, not to indulge in disgusting sport."

"Kreatz."

"Besides, Samus, you know I can't resist a good fight, no matter how dangerous it is. And I'll be damned if I can't get in on this one."

"Kreatz," Samus laughed, "I was not even going to argue with you. You and Mauk can come along."

"Oh," Kreatz said in surprise, clearly prepared to offer more material for his defense. "Well, why didn't you say so? You had me blabbering like an idiot for nothing but your own amusement, it seems. Well, we're wasting time sitting here. It's a long flight to Zebes so you should strap in before Hardy catches on."

"Wait…you're not worried about any repercussions, you guys?" Samus asked, her face now lined with worry. "I don't want you to feel pressured into doing something like this. You could be discharged for doing joining me on this mission."

"We might," Mauk grinned. "But that doesn't mean that it won't feel any less right. Besides, this is our choice."

"It's too late to try to talk us out of this anyway," Kreatz winked as he began punching buttons on the control panel. "Might as well resign yourself to the fact that this is the way things have turned out to be, Samus."

"Might as well," Samus conceded as she moved over to switch places with Kreatz but the thin man held up a hand.

"Nope, Samus. I stole the ship first so I'm going to be the one flying it."

"It's my plan, Kreatz, and you're only tagging along!"

"Maybe, but I already inputted Hardy's departure codes, so we have clearance to fly now. In any case, it's too late!" Kreatz snickered as he yanked back on the yoke, causing the craft to uncomfortably lurch. "We're airborne now. Better strap in, human! Next destination: Zebes!"

"Damn you," Samus cursed, but it was with a smile of acceptance on her face.

Screaming off through the clouds, the outside windows gradually turned darker and darker the further the craft passed through the atmosphere. As soon as the pull of Jigrad was negligible on the craft, the hyperdrive thrusters belched into life, and with a noiseless roar, the tiny ship blasted into its trans-dimensional wormhole, leaving no trace of its existence behind.

Estimated time of arrival to Zebes: Twenty-two hours.

* * *

_**A/N: The fate of the Pirate "P-1" was left ambiguous in the manga, so I decided to create a good reason for his departure in the adaptation. Killing him off seemed to be a logical alternative in that case.**_

_**Now we're approaching one of the more dramatic arcs in the story, one that should last for several chapters and could be shocking to those unfamiliar with the source material. It will be fun trying to adapt this heavy material. I relish a good challenge.**_

_**So, what are your thoughts so far? Am doing a good job or am I lacking in some areas? Drop a review and let me know what you think. I'm always eager for audience feedback.**_


	6. Chapter 6: Infiltration

As soon as the landing craft touched down on the dusty surface of Zebes, Samus rushed out at the same time the ramp was beginning to descend, hopping off and going forth a few feet. Kreatz and Mauk were right behind her, their weapons drawn and at the ready. Samus scanned all around her, her helmet still not on, feeling the dry wind bring the scent of something burning to her nostrils.

The hills in front of them were ablaze. Smoke poured into the air as a raging inferno swirled over the arid landscape. The devastation extended for miles and Samus covered her mouth slightly so that she would not inhale any of the toxic fumes. Her eyes stung and she felt her forehead begin to sweat, horrified at the level of destruction that had chanced upon this place.

"This was my _home_…" she gasped before she quickly scaled a small plateau. She nimbly jumped up to the top with ease and surveyed the surrounding area. What she saw took her breath away. Small fires burned greedily, several structures crumbled from being shelled, and the quickly blackening sky made everything seem like she had stepped into a nightmare.

Zebes had now become a literal hell.

Kreatz ducked down and examined a small niche tucked into a wall before he stepped back, having found nothing of use. Mauk kicked at some burnt wood, overturning a small pile which sent ash everywhere. The large man started to climb down a hill of boulders before pronouncing the entire effort futile in his mind.

"Find anything?" Mauk called to Kreatz, who was now busy scrambling over what used to be a stone wall. His friend shook his head, leaving Mauk to make a noise of frustration.

After ten minutes had passed, the trio regrouped by a small redoubt, the shade of the structure providing them some relief from the arid winds. "I can hardly recognize it," Samus said quietly. "I…never thought that Zebes could fall. Never in my life…"

"Don't be a defeatist yet, Samus," Kreatz assured. "We haven't found anything that would confirm that all the Chozo have been wiped out."

"I know," Samus nodded as she ran a gauntleted hand through her hair. "I know. They…they may have escaped or they could be in hiding. I just…I don't know."

Mauk checked his chronometer. "Well, we have little more than a day to perform recon of the planet before the Federation fleet arrives. Samus, do you have any idea where the Chozo would supposedly hide if danger ever came to them?"

"They…" Samus frantically searched the confines of her mind for hints of any kind. She remembered walking the familiar halls several times with Old Bird, him showing her all of the places on Zebes. She recalled him speaking about the safest hall in the planet, the place where all knowledge was stored. The central heart of Zebes.

"Tourian," she breathed in victory. "They would have gone to Tourian."

"Wait…what the hell is a Tourian?" Kreatz tilted his head.

"Tourian is the sector where Mother is stored," Samus explained. "She is the AI that controls the entire Chozo facility. The elders must have taken refuge there where Mother could more easily protect them."

"Right," Kreatz nodded as he held aloft a submachine gun. "So, how do we get to Tourian from here?"

"We need to find a way inside the facility. The only way into Tourian is through the Brinstar sector and to get _there_ we need to find an access hatch. But everything here is destroyed, I'm not sure where we'll be able to find one."

Samus wilted a tiny bit in frustration. She fidgeted in place, trying to remember if there was a hidden access point that she had forgot about close by that the Pirates had not gotten to. She was so deep in thought that she jumped when Mauk's giant hand brushed her arm.

"Something's nearby," he said as he stepped forward. His nostrils flared as he took a deep breath. "There's a peculiar scent coming from that direction." Mauk pointed upwind, towards the wildfire beyond.

"Take point, Mauk," Samus nodded. "We'll cover you."

The big man stepped forward, gingerly shifting his weight among the crumbling rocks. His huge shotgun was at his hip, his finger already on the trigger. He slowly panned to and fro as he advanced, cautiously scanning the landscape in case anything would jump out at him. Samus and Kreatz crouch-walked behind Mauk, keeping their footsteps low in case something was listening in.

A skittering sound shot from a pile of rocks to Mauk's right. Mauk turned and immediately pulled the trigger of the shotgun, the weapon lurching from the blowback. The noise reverberated among the stone pillars, loud in an almost regrettable fashion, causing everyone to jump. Samus leaped forward and held her cannon up until she saw what Mauk had been aiming at.

"You just hit a Geemer," she pointed out, lowering her weapon.

Hit it was understating the situation somewhat. The Geemer was an insectoid species resembling a large beetle. Slightly bigger than a basketball, Geemers possessed several legs underneath their shell, which happened to be equipped with a multitude of spines about as long as a human forearm. Typically, Geemers were not aggressive but that was not generally an invitation for someone to walk up and pet them.

Being that Mauk's shotgun was of a larger make than most of the civilized galaxy, its type of shot was so powerful that it had blown the Geemer to smithereens. Only a few scraps of its hard shell plus a couple dispersed spines had been the only indication of what had been shot to Samus.

"So I did," Mauk said in surprise before turning back. He sniffed the air again. "That wasn't what was making the original scent, though. Just a few more meters in this direction."

He stepped over a dried shrub, the branches crackling at his approach. Mauk scowled as he approached the clearly dead form lying on the ground, letting the barrel of his shotgun gradually aim down at the dirt. Samus and Kreatz joined him, the latter scrunching up his face in disgust as he saw the body.

"What the hell is that?" Kreatz said as he crouched down for a better look. He didn't touch it, but his eyes widened the more he looked at it. "Is it a Chozo?"

"No…" Samus shook her head. "It's a Space Pirate, but something is different about it."

The creature was indeed a Space Pirate, but it was clearly differing from the form the three of them had fought in the past. The creature's claws were longer and possessed more hooks around the interior lip. Scaly spines lay ridged from the back of the Pirate's legs to the back of its head. Its feet were skinner and looked more like appendages found on a bird of prey. The Pirate's jaw now jutted out, more beak-like in structure.

"Genetic modification," Mauk scowled. "This Pirate was altered to adapt more readily to the environment of Zebes."

"That explains why it looks like a Chozo," Samus muttered in disgust. "But how did it die?" She reached out and tried to move the modified Pirate's arm out of the way of its chest, to see if she could spot any entry wounds, but the limb broke off in her hand as if the flesh was made out of paper, the bones brittle like glass.

"What the…" she murmured as she watched green blood gently drip out of the stump. She threw the severed limb away, into the desert.

Kreatz frowned, his brow furrowing. "It didn't die of a gun wound, but it sure doesn't look naturally caused, either."

Samus bent down and examined the corpse more closely. The Pirate's skin appeared to be stretched and dry, like it had been lying out in the sun for weeks. It was cracked and flaky, clinging to its bones more closely due to its atrophied muscles. "A mistake in the genetic process, maybe?" she guessed.

"Quite possible," Mauk nodded grimly. "Although I'm not sure that a scientific mistake could result in such decay like this. Its body fluids are all in order, yet it remains dead. Either it might be a type of virus or there is something else out there that is capable of such a thing."

"The creatures on Zebes _are_ dangerous," Samus pondered, "but there is nothing here that could kill this Pirate in this manner."

"Nothing that we know of, anyway," Mauk grumbled.

A sharp clattering sound of a pebble hitting a rock gave Samus pause. She turned in the direction of the sound, her guard up. She found nothing but an unscalable wall behind her, worn smooth after centuries of elements beating on it. Naturally, she lifted her gaze upward until she reached the top, where a few shrubs were peeking out between the cracks in the stone. At the very edge of the wall above her, Samus saw a hint of movement, followed by a tiny flash.

"_Find cover!_" she yelled loudly as she dove backward. An energy bolt hit the very place she had been standing, sending up a puff of smoke, followed by molten bits of sand, already hardening into glass. Samus rubbed at her eyes, irritated by the debris getting blown into them and she quickly focused her mind on a specific part of her body. In an instant, her helmet materialized over her head, hissing as it sealed her away in its own environment. Samus breathed out in relief from the lack of noise and from the wealth of targeting displays that activated on her visor. Her own private arena.

Her targeting indicator picked out three Pirates on the high ground and she fired a burst without thinking, the action being completely natural. The bolt raced upward and caught the head of a modified Pirate, shearing his head off just above the jaw. The other two hunkered down in alarm, making sure that none of their bodies were exposed as they continued to fire down into the gorge.

Samus, Kreatz, and Mauk all were unloading on the position of the Pirates by now, but their foes had fortified themselves well after their comrade bought the farm. The aliens were in a perfect position to fire down without the danger of getting hit, and Samus' team was wide out in the open.

Samus crouched down behind a boulder and watched a faint wisp trail from her cannon as it cooled. She bit back a curse as she realized there was no good way to reach the Pirates from where she was situated. The wall was too high for a frontal attack and taking any side routes would put her in a perfect firing position for the Pirates that she would be cut to ribbons upon first sight.

"Samus!" Kreatz bellowed as a green beam burst a bush into flames near his head. "We can't stay here much longer! We have to get out of here!"

"I'm working on it!" she yelled back as she sat up, providing cover fire, her cannon jolting each time she squeezed her fist. The remaining Pirates ducked down as shards of rock pelted them, still safe from the onslaught of energy in their direction. "Go!" Samus waved as she stood up, traveling further into the valley.

More beams struck at their feet but they had gone safely out of the Pirates' range by this point. However, not ones to give up so easily, the Pirates stood up from their cover and hunched along the ridge, firing in intermittent intervals at their fleeing prey. Kreatz tripped as his foot slid over a rock but Mauk yanked him to his feet, trying to keep up with the unbelievably quick Samus.

Mauk looked back and groaned as he watched the Pirates continue to give chase. There was no way he could hit them with his shotgun, not at this distance. "We need to find cover _now_, Samus!" he hollered, firing a burst anyway to see if he could force the Pirates into taking cover.

Samus did not answer him, but frantically continued to speed across the uneven ground. Even with her suit on, Samus could feel her breathing become shallower. She was in the process of deciding whether to make a stand right here when she heard a tiny squeak to her left, temporarily distracting her.

On top of a small hill, a tiny outline sat silhouetted against the fire, its small shadow making an uncanny impact on Samus. Not noticing the sounds of commotion behind her anymore, Samus gingerly stepped forward and lifted her hand, cautious if what she was seeing was a mirage. The returning squeak and slight bob of its body told her that she was not imagining it, that it was clearly tangible right in front of her. That she had found…

"_Pyonchi_…" Samus gasped, her mouth agape behind her helmet.

She longed to run over to the rabbilis and scoop the creature up in a hug, but such a greeting would have to wait. Realizing that a battle was drawing closer, Pyonchi tilted his ears and took off towards the cliff wall. Samus made a noise, feeling hurt at Pyonchi's departure, but breathed out as she saw him stop in front of a hole hidden in the rock, just big enough to allow her and her friends passage.

"Over here!" she beckoned, quickly getting out of the way of the Pirate's beams. Mauk and Kreatz followed her in relief and sighed as the cool air of the cave wafted over them, a nice contrast to the hot day in the sun and fire.

Pyonchi had been waiting in the entrance of the cave and began to lead them on through the maze-like structure. Breaking out at a slight jog, Samus stayed close by the rabbilis, occasionally glancing behind her in case they were still being followed. She kept on worrying about the rear that she almost didn't look where she was going.

"Wait, stop!" she cried as she dug her heels into the ground, grinding to a halt. Kreatz and Mauk almost collided with her as they slowed down at such a small distance. Pyonchi squeaked frantically at her, which is where Samus had noticed just in time that he was standing to the side of the path, not directly in the middle.

"Follow me and don't walk in the center," she commanded, quickly skirting around the edge of the path. Kreatz looked confused but complied all the same, as did Mauk.

"All right," Kreatz whispered fiercely after they had finished with their deviation. "What the hell was _that_ about Sam-"

The light flickered behind them and the two Space Pirates stepped around the corner, having found the cave entrance. Light flashed from their claws and the opposite wall exploded, sending out sharp shards of stone. Samus and her friends threw themselves behind the next corner, feeling the heat blister past them. Kreatz raised his submachine gun with a growl, but Samus gently pushed it back down.

"Just watch," she said with a smile on her face, not that anyone could see it.

As she spoke, the two Pirates continued to stalk forward, adhering to the middle of the path the whole way. As soon as they stepped into the area that Samus and the others had deliberately avoided, all hell broke loose.

Two dark shapes plummeted from the ceiling, unbeknownst to the cackling Pirates. In seconds, their laughs turned to screams and then gurgles as two insects with wings as sharp as razors impacted directly on top of the bipedal aliens. One of these insects pierced the neck of a modified Pirate from behind, quickly severing its head, causing its body to topple listlessly to the ground. The other creature had sped down with such force that it lodged itself into the skull of a Pirate. With bone-crunching force, the insect's wings expanded slightly, causing the Pirate's head to burst apart in an explosion of brains. An eye popped free of the Pirate's socket from the sheer force of the eruption and it fell to the ground, gathering up sand.

As soon as the two bodies became still, the wings of the insects began twitching rapidly, creating a low-pitched buzzing sound. After a few seconds, the buzzing stopped, but the two insects that reveled in the blood and gore of the Pirates, suddenly exploded, causing more body parts to be dispersed around the path, staining the nearby walls.

"What…was _that?_" Mauk gaped, completely stunned.

"A Skree," Samus smirked as she de-materialized her helmet, letting her ponytail free from its confined space. "They wait on the ceilings and drop down on anyone unsuspecting enough to walk into their trap. The ones that actually perform the kill aggravate the combustible gases in their stomach sacs, causing them to explode so that the corpses are easier to eat for the other member of their troop."

As Samus was saying this, a bunch more Skrees were fluttering down to the ground, about fifteen in total. They set down lightly and began to munch on the bodies of the Pirates, apparently finding them to be good eating. Kreatz looked like he was going to be sick.

"And you had to _live_ here?" he asked, amazed.

"You get used to the place," Samus shrugged as she pushed off from the wall. Pyonchi had darted ahead by this time and was now stomping his feet impatiently, waiting for everyone to join him. Everyone chased after the rabbilis as he led them on a twisting and turning path without hesitation, knowing perfectly where to go.

After what seemed like the hundredth corner, a soft blue glow materialized out of the gloom, revealing an access hatch. Grinning, Samus stepped forward and fired at the hatch once, dropping its energy shields and allowing them passage. As they stepped inside, the dusty and dark cave abruptly ended and the quartet now found themselves in a room comprised of metal and steel, accompanied by the glare of vidscreens.

"I know this room," Samus said as she found a power switch. The lights flickered on, washing the place in a green tint. "This is one of the main communications facilities in Brinstar." She glanced up at the ceiling briefly. "Mother, are you there?" she asked aloud. "Mother?"

"You think that an AI will be able to hear you?" Mauk said as he arched an eyebrow.

"She's connected to the entire facility. If she's not answering, then that means that the Pirates have either destroyed her or locked her out of the system." Samus looked at Pyonchi, who had perched himself on top of a nearby desk proudly. "So, if there's no one around…why would you lead us here?" she whispered to the creature, as if he could understand her.

Pyonchi twitched his ears knowingly and, with his paw, depressed a tiny button next to a circular opening on the desk. A glowing symbol warmed and cooled for a few seconds, as if an interior mechanism was busy booting up. Unbeknownst to Samus, the tiny "L" logo on her chest plate began to rise and fall in intensity at the same interval. Finding a contact point, a solid beam of light shot up a few feet above the desk and a figure began to take form within the beam. A holo-screen.

Samus tilted forward, recognizing the individual in the screen. She watched his sad face, his slump of his shoulders, and the way he clutched his walking stick to his chest. "_Old Bird_…" she gasped.

"_If you are viewing this message_," the elderly Chozo began, his voice tinny, "_then I assume that you are from the Federation and thus have arrived too late to stop our extinction. Therefore, this recording is to highlight what has happened since our communications were cut with the galaxy…and to correct the wrongs we have made in the past_."

"Extinction?" Samus whispered. "Oh no…no…"

"_Zebes was suddenly set upon by the Space Pirates without warning_," Old Bird said slowly, his gaze steadily drooping downward. "_For what purpose, we can only guess, but it would seem that their attack is meant to exterminate us while claiming our accumulated knowledge and research on Zebes." _Footage of a Pirate mothership in orbit above the planet was shown briefly but the choppy film quickly ended._ "This was not the first time the Pirates have attacked us before. That time, we had the quick reactions of the Federation to thank, but because of their recent declaration of war, the Federation could not act in time to stave this assault off due to their resources being spread too thinly. Thus, the Pirates were able to strike when we were at our most vulnerable_. _We could not act in time to send a distress signal so we had no choice but to surrender the planet to the Pirates as a last effort to ensure the survival of the Chozo_."

"But…" Samus shook her head. "That doesn't make any sense. The Federation _did_ receive a distress signal. How else would we have known?"

Kreatz put a hand on Samus' shoulder. "But Old Bird said surrendering the planet was for the Chozo's _survival_. That means that they're probably still alive somewhere!"

Samus heard him but waved a hand to quiet Kreatz as Old Bird began to speak again, torn with regret. "_It was my personal belief that Zebes should be destroyed rather than handing it over to the Space Pirates. We had prepared for such a contingency long ago by placing neutron bombs in the core of the planet but the Pirates arrived too quickly for us to formulate an ideal plan. In the heat of the moment, we were cut off from our main operations station, and all of us could not flee all at once_." On the screen, Old Bird sighed deeply. "_Therefore, it was decided that I should be the one to escape while the others remained as hostages for the Pirates. It was not my intention to abandon my home, my friends, but it seems that I will be the last of the Chozo. The last of our race_."

Samus breathed out in relief. "Good," she mumbled. "Old Bird got away…the Pirates did not succeed in annihilating them all." She reached out to the screen and her fingers floated through the virtual image. "But…where would you go, Old Bird? Would you tell me even if your life depended on it?"

"_Now that any remaining Chozo will be hunted for all eternity_," Old Bird continued, "_I have no choice but to go into exile. Our final days are already upon us. Our colonies on Elysia and Tallon IV have already been routed. There is nothing left that I can do to salvage our race._" Old Bird then tapped at something unseen and a black picture sprung up beside him. It depicted a round looking organism, its translucent body carrying three nuclei within it, and possessing two pairs of mandibles. "_Now, our only remaining concern for the rest of the galaxy is this. Metroid_."

"Metroid…" Mauk murmured as he leaned in for a better look. Samus stiffened, put off by the creature's odd and repulsive appearance.

"_As part of our hopes to safeguard the galaxy, we developed a lifeform designed to carry out our final wishes of peace. But, when the attack started, it became apparent that Metroid was not yet complete, that it was not the obedient soldier we wished it to be. The entire existence of the project has revealed enemies outside of the Space Pirates, ones that have nefarious plans for Metroid. We did not anticipate the lengths some were willing to go to acquire Metroid's energy siphoning capabilities. We originally envisioned Metroid to bring about a wave of purification, but it is clear that it is now an infestation. The ones we had previously bred are outside our control now. They will not discriminate between friend or foe._"

"That must have been what happened to the first Pirate we saw outside," Samus realized. "A Metroid must have gotten to it."

Old Bird gestured to something in front of him. "_To those viewing this recording, the console in front of you contains a disk that has all of the information on Metroid encoded on it. It was encrypted specifically to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands. There are a few at the Federation who can read the files, so it must be delivered to them straight away!_"

Samus looked down and found a data slot. She pushed the eject button and retrieved the tiny silver disk that popped out. Looking at it in curiosity for a brief moment, she slid the disk into a side pocket.

"_We must warn you about a new danger that lurks in the shadows, though_," Old Bird said gravely. A planet filled the space where the Metroid schematic had floated, depicting a dusty ball wrapped with green. "_SR-388. We used this planet to cultivate an entire population of Metroids, but now we fear that these specimens have escaped our control as well. The Metroids must not leave Zebes, or SR-388, or else they will consume the entire galaxy. In trying to rid the galaxy of one scourge, I fear we have unleashed another in its place. Please, you must destroy these Metroids to save the galaxy, or they will bring about an age of darkness the likes no one has ever seen before!_"

"A planet full of those things?" Kreatz shuddered. "You can count me out."

That earned him a smack from Mauk to silence the man but Samus was still entranced by the recording to even notice the comment. "_Finally, to whoever is watching this, you must find a way to bring our last order to the attention of our true child, Samus Aran_."

Kreatz and Mauk both looked at Samus, whose eyes widened in amazement. She gestured to herself minutely, deeply wishing to throw herself into the hologram and speak to Old Bird directly and not have to endure this vague exposition by him.

"_You must tell her that she is now the only one who can inherit the will of the Chozo. She is our true legacy, our only remaining soldier. Metroid could not uphold our duty, our responsibility, but she can. Samus can bring about our final wish: to bring peace to the known galaxy. Samus Aran is…our greatest creation_."

Finally, in the tiny, cold room, the hologram representation of Old Bird gave a sad smile and a respectful nod before his image suddenly flickered and winked out of existence. The console stopped humming and quietly died, throwing a blanket of silence over the communications room. Samus stood like a statue as she stared at the projector, half-expecting Old Bird to return and speak some more, but the wise Chozo did not reappear.

"No…" Samus gasped as she dropped to a knee, trying to find a button to power the console back up again. "No…that can't be it. You can't just end it like that, Old Bird!"

"Samus…" Kreatz attempted to speak.

"No, no, _no!_" Samus muttered, completely frustrated as she frantically searched all over the desk. "He couldn't leave it like that. There has to be more! He couldn't just leave me to fix his mistakes!"

"He did everything he could, Samus," Mauk assured.

"Then he didn't do enough!" she cried. "He just turned his back on this galaxy and left without so much as telling me beforehand? Just to leave with the notion that he expects me to carry out his last wishes without _my_ input? Damn…_damn him!_"

Samus screamed and threw her fist down, smashing through the data console like it was made out of tin foil. Everyone jumped and Pyonchi scrambled out of the way as metal components rained down, the sparks from the ruined machine emitting a crackling sound and a scent of ozone. Several vidscreens fuzzed and winked out, smoke beginning to lazily rise from the wreckage.

"Samus!" Kreatz yelled as he pried her away from the broken machine. "He didn't know things would be like this!"

"He _should_ have!" she retorted. "Old Bird always had a plan, _always!_ Running away was never an option and he wouldn't have wanted me to just accept it out of the blue!"

"We can worry about that later," Kreatz urged. "But don't you remember what Old Bird said? He specifically mentioned that the Chozo surrendered Zebes to the Pirates. _Surrendered_ instead of conquered! That means that there may still be survivors here. Why else would there be a distress signal that led us…all the way…to Zebes?"

Kreatz had a funny look on his face as the realization hit Samus at the same time. "You don't think…" Mauk gaped.

"Yeah, I do," Samus sighed. "This whole thing sounds like a trap."

"But for whom? And why?"

"I don't know," Samus admitted. "But I can't just let any Chozo die if I had the ability to help in some capacity. They have to be freed!"

"And what do want to do about this Metroid crisis?" Kreatz pointed at Samus' pocket which contained the disk that Old Bird had indicated.

"We can worry about that later. That's a mission for another time. Right now, I want you two to stay with Pyonchi. He can lead you to the prisoners while I'll go to Tourian and see if I can reactivate Mother, if she hasn't been destroyed. She's a little terse for an AI, but she will make traversing around Zebes much easier if I can lift the security blackout."

Kreatz looked a little apprehensive as Samus rubbed the rabbilis' head in affection. "Wait…what? Samus, I know that your pet has lived on Zebes for a while but I'd rather not have to take it on as extra weight slowing us down. It might compromise our mission."

"Oh, really?" Samus smirked as she held Pyonchi close. "Did you forget that this little guy was constantly ahead of us the entire time we were in this facility, leading us on? He knows these caverns very well, unlike any of you. As far as he's concerned, _you're_ the extra weight. Besides, Pyonchi knows how to evade all of the predators residing in these caves. Or did you think that you will be all right traversing them by yourself?"

Kreatz had forgotten about the creatures, particularly the Skrees. The thought of having one of those burrow into his skull and explode was not something that he was willing to put down on his agenda. Unable to come up with a solid defense, Kreatz gave a sheepish grin. "_Ah_…well…okay, then. Pyonchi it is."

Samus gazed down warmly at Pyonchi, who stared back up at her with his big, black, expressive eyes. She scratched the back of his neck and watched him twitch his nose in delight. Samus had almost forgotten the sensation of holding him. How she had missed Pyonchi.

"I'll see you soon," she whispered into one of the rodent's large ears before squeezing him tenderly in a one-armed hug. With a squeak of assurance, Pyonchi bounded out of Samus' arms and streaked out of the room, leaving Mauk and Kreatz dumbfounded at the furry creature's insistence. "You'd better go," she told the two. "Pyonchi can be quite impatient when people dawdle."

Saying nothing except exchanging nods, Kreatz and Mauk jogged back out of the room, hot on Pyonchi's tail as he led them through a passage on the right. Samus watched them go forlornly before she closed her eyes, and the helmet of her suit appeared over her head once again. She breathed out, hearing her own voice hiss through the vocabulator. She blinked her eyes, testing the sensors embedded in the Chozo technology, pronouncing the seal successful.

Holding her arm cannon up in preparation, Samus walked out of the room in the opposite direction, the light filters in her visor making it easy for her to see in the encroaching blackness of the caves. Picking up nothing on her motion trackers, she broke out at a run and hopped over small obstacles as she made her way to Tourian.

As she proceeded through Brinstar, Samus could not help but get gradually more and more worried. She passed by an area that was scorched by blaster fire and where pieces of riot drones lay scattered all over the ground. She avoided stepping on these pieces lest someone unsavory nearby was listening. A pit of dread seemed to open up in her stomach as she skirted around a pile of rubble, caused when part of the ceiling caved in. She had seen no bodies thus far, but that still did not assuage her in the slightest.

Pushing aside a partially opened hatch, Samus blinked as sunlight streamed down from a hole high above the cavern. A round from a gunship had plowed through the top of the facility and drilled several stories down to terminate somewhere at the bottom, the light illuminating waves of dust as billowed and danced to the slightest breath of wind.

Biting her lip, Samus tucked her knees and jumped, easily making it to the next floor up. The ground began to crumble at the lip but she was already on the move, leaping higher and higher up the building. There was hardly any noise as the huge armor landed on the broken stone, Samus light on her feet. Another Geemer poked its head out and tried to make a beeline for the warrior, but Samus simply pointed her cannon and disintegrated the creature with a blast to the face. She had more problems to worry about than the simple-minded wildlife.

In less than a minute, she had reached the top but did not stop to congratulate herself at what would have been an astonishing feat for an ordinary human. Rather, she picked herself up running again and quickly hurried through the door to the Tourian lift. She punched the button for the small elevator to run and it began its torturous descent downward.

As she waited for the lift to reach its destination, Samus fidgeted a little. She was uneasy at the thought that the Space Pirates somehow knew to deactivate Mother. There was no way that the AI could have survived this onslaught uninjured. She was also concerned that the Chozo had no time to barricade themselves inside Tourian, a fortress that, for all intents and purposes, should have been impenetrable.

Then there was that notion of a trap lying in wait. What would the Pirates gain by leading a rescue force into an ambush? Surely that was not their ultimate goal, was it?

The lift mercifully stopped and Samus shot out at breakneck speed. She had little time to observe the carnage from the scuffed and blackened walls, brushing past a few small fires that almost blew out from the speed of her running. The metal hallways were all empty, abandoned, and Samus willed herself to travel faster and faster. The more she traveled, the more overturned objects and blasted droids she saw. Heart in her throat, Samus leaped over an upturned bookshelf and reached the final gateway. Savagely pounding on it with a fist, she leaped back as it opened and began looking for Mother's control panel.

However, that was not the first thing that she saw. Instead of the lone cylindrical tank at the end of the room, a few dozen Space Pirates blocked the AI from view. Samus gulped as the hatch closed behind her. There were too many for her to take on by herself. The Pirates, both regular and modified, quickly realized that they had company and began to open their claws, hissing ferociously.

Samus too had her weapon out and ready. She felt the corners of her eyes sting from her sweat. Her breathing felt hitched and she clenched her jaw. Well, even if she was too late to do any good, Samus was prepared to take some of these bastards out before-

"Samus, wait!" a voice called out over the horde. "Lower your weapon. There is no need for you to fight here."

The shot that Samus had been charging died as she slipped her finger off the trigger in horror. It had been a few years since she had heard that voice, but she never would have thought that those words would have been uttered from that person. She still kept her weapon aimed at the Pirates, but her arm quickly felt tired as she saw a figure push his way through the insectoid crowd, looking rather regal in contrast to the other aliens around him from the flowing wardrobe he donned. What was even more astonishing was that the Pirates were not treating him like a hostage, but like one of their own as they parted to let him through, their weapons not trained in his direction at all.

"Samus," the person said as he spread his arms open in greeting, the Pirates crowding around him protectively. "Welcome. We have been expecting you."

Samus could only shake her head in disbelief, convinced that she was somehow dreaming. That this person could not be here…not now. How was this even possible?

"_Gray…Voice?_" she whispered helplessly as the tall Chozo smiled across at her.

As the Pirates closed in around her, they began to laugh synchronously. Samus suddenly felt the need to scream in horror.

* * *

_**A/N: The plot thickens...unless you're familiar with the source material in which case this should have been entirely expected. No matter, this is probably my most favorite act out of the manga so I'm going to be working at this at quite a fast pace. If I can find the right groove to write, that is.**_

_**In any case, I do hope that you enjoy this chapter!**_

_**LawrenceSnake: Yeah, that was my fault for being a little too vague with my descriptions. That sentence was only meant to highlight Ridley's resiliency, not insinuate that he had cybernetics of any kind. I went back and added a sentence to that paragraph that should hopefully not confuse any more people in the future, so thank you for pointing that out. Rest assured, Ridley is still 100% organic...for now.**_

_**TheBarbarianKing: To be honest, I found myself asking that same question when I was adapting that part. I'd imagine that the writers thought it would be a cool concept to put in the manga but they also failed to properly explain how such a technology was possible. Therefore, I also failed to provide some sort of reasoning for the concept initially, so I went back and put in a sentence denoting that a shield surrounds the black hole in the direction of the ship, thus preventing its structural integrity from being compromised. Ehh...maybe that's one portion of the manga that I should have just excised.**_


	7. Chapter 7: Impact

Samus felt smaller than usual as the crowd of Pirates edged closer to her. They stood in a formation around the robed Chozo in the middle, their claws lowered, but their attitude still heightened, anticipating blood. Their snarls and rasps denoted their impatience to begin the carnage, but it was only through the outsider in the center that they did not all start firing at once. Gray Voice remained stoic, his arms held out to prevent any violence from occurring on his side of the undrawn boundary between the two forces.

Samus' left hand slipped off her arm cannon, letting the barrel point further and further at the floor. Her feet were spread apart, ready to drop into a battle stance, but she knew that any attack would be futile. The second she would open fire, a thousand bolts would cut her to pieces. Suddenly, she felt very alone.

"Gray…" she whispered, "…w-why are you with _t-them?_ H-Have the Space Pirates made you a prisoner?"

"No, Samus," Gray Voice said as he adjusted his robe. "Please relax. There is no need for any hostile action in here. The situation is currently being remedied as we speak. I can explain everything to you."

"_E-Explain?_" Samus gaped. "Gray…what are you _talking_ about? How can you possibly explain _this?_ What happened here? Where are the other elders? Where is Mother?"

"I'm right here, Samus," a tinny voice waved by as a quiet humming noise rose from behind Samus. In a few seconds, the round sphere of Mother's monitor floated around Samus' head and up over the Pirate crowd, directly in front of the shadowed biomechanical apparatus encased in the tank in the back of the room. The lord and the messenger.

"Mother…"

"You may calm down, Samus," Mother said rather haphazardly. "I can assure you that I have not been damaged or tampered with. Just like Gray Voice said, we are in the midst of switching to a cooperative relationship with the Space Pirates. Our assimilation has been quite constructive…and quite valuable. As you can see, these Pirates no longer wish us any harm for _we_ are the ones controlling them now."

"What do you mean by '_controlling them?_'" Samus nearly shouted in horror. She snapped out of her paralysis and raised her weapon at the Pirates, but as expected, they too raised their claws and bared their fangs in rage as each side began a tense standoff. Samus clenched her teeth, not pulling the trigger, but half-expecting for the Pirates to be the ones to fire in the room first. But, as she continued to count the seconds that passed for what seemed like an eternity, Samus soon realized that, no matter how aggressive the Pirates were acting, they were not going to fight unless she gave them a reason.

"I would advise for you to lower your weapon," Mother said calmly. "The Space Pirates generally do not take too kindly towards people who threaten them in such a fashion." The monitor dipped closer to Samus and the lens clacked within the gray sphere. "It might be hard for you to accept, but I have not been reprogrammed. You may even check my logs for yourself. Rest assured, Samus, I still hold the best interests of the galaxy in my core programming. All that I ask now is that you trust us."

"Perhaps if we alleviate the situation somewhat," Gray Voice offered before he waved a hand in a grand fashion. "All of you, leave us."

The Space Pirates looked amongst themselves for a brief moment before they responded to the command, so quick it was almost instantaneous. The insectoid aliens dipped their heads in the fashion of a bow and quietly slunk off into the adjacent corridors. They closed their claws and took their eyes of Samus as they retreated from the chamber. Samus, instead of being assured, felt more and more frightened than ever before.

"They're obeying your commands…" she said in disbelief. "Why, Gray? Why are they following you?"

Gray Voice merely shrugged. "The Pirates and I have come to an understanding, Samus. With Mother's help, we have made great strides toward a mutual partnership. In your training, do you remember me telling you that knowing your enemies is the key to defeating them?"

Samus nodded and the Chozo continued. "Well, in learning more about our enemy, it was decided that they could be of greater use to us as allies rather as foes. The Pirates have proven to exhibit a new order for the galaxy through their disciplinarian actions and Mother was the one who decided that we must embrace this order if we are to survive."

"Y-You…?" Samus gasped as she stared at the indifferent monitor, the vat bubbling in relative silence behind it.

"This decision did not come to me lightly, you know," Mother explained. "What I discovered through years of careful research is that the so-called legendary Space Pirates are nothing more than a subordinate species that are domesticated to follow the orders of a master that is naturally stronger than them. Think of them as worker bees in a colony, never destined to rule, always meant to serve the queen. In this case, the two species are alike as the Space Pirates are genetically programmed into their hierarchal ranks. Therefore, as a resident on the top of the ranking, _I_ exhibit the utmost control over the Pirates. Now, I am their master, their queen."

"And how did you get to _be_ their master, Mother?" Samus asked, beginning to sidestep very slowly, trying to get some distance away from the AI's floating monitor. "How is it that the Space Pirates came to accept _your_ commands, and Gray Voice's as well?"

"An excellent question, Samus," Mother boomed. "It was only a matter of careful diplomacy with another who shares the rank of master with the Pirates. It was an easy endeavor to convince the right individuals that my status as an all-knowing artificial intelligence would be more beneficial as an ally to their cause. As an equal instead of a nameless grunt, mind you. And since Gray Voice was the only other Chozo among his kind that accepted my way of thinking, I negotiated to have him receive the same status."

"Gray…" Samus pleaded. "How could you? What…what happened to the other elders, Gray? What have you _done_ with them?!"

"They are fine," Gray said as he waved a hand in assurance. "They're close by and are unharmed. Nothing will happen to them unless I say so, Samus. I give you my word."

"And you will remain unharmed as well, Samus," Mother added. "You have seen the proof for yourself; _we_ are in command of the Space Pirates. _We_ can dictate their actions and movements now. And what's to stop you from sharing in the new order? If you wish, you can become a leader of the Pirates yourself. All you have to do is ask, and you will become one of us."

Samus stared blankly at the vat, trying to see past the gloom at the spiked mass residing within. She clenched her fists into balls so tightly she thought she could crack her Power Suit. Memories of screams and fire came to her, the roars of victory and her own cries as heat washed over her…

"I will not," Samus rasped weakly. "I will _never_ join the Space Pirates, Mother. You _know_ what they did to me! You _know_ that I've been fighting them my whole life so why the hell would I join you and them just because you asked me to?!"

"Simple. The reality of the situation speaks otherwise. A changing of the guard is upon us, an exchange of hats, if you will take the expression. The service of the Chozo has come to an end, Samus, and another group must take that place as guardians if the galaxy is to survive."

"And you picked the Space Pirates? What madness brought that on you?"

"Madness?" Mother repeated before emitting something akin to a chuckle. Samus was taken aback. She had never heard Mother _laugh_ before. "How naïve you are, human," Mother seemed to sigh in spite. "Do not try to deny that the Chozo have been in decline for centuries. It was only fortunate that they realized their path ended in extinction long ago which turned them toward a life of new progress, of prosperity, before they departed for good. That path symbolizes how mature the Chozo have become as a lesser race would have devolved into anarchy, trying to stave their end off any way they could. But the Chozo…they _accepted_ their fate! And what they've been doing ever since that fateful decision was to make sure that the galaxy was safer due to their work. A noble goal, indeed!"

"And you think that the Space Pirates would be able to usher in the same era?" Samus yelled, her arms gesturing wildly. "After all they've proved to be good for is complete destruction, not creation?"

"While it's true that the Space Pirates have shown efficiency for all the virtues that the Chozo oppose, there is no other species that has reached the same level of sophistication, of order. With my help, of course, I could guide them to the path of the Chozo without making any of my progenitor's mistakes. And together, we can end all conflict in this galaxy and bring about the era of peace that the Chozo so dearly wished!"

"Still not interested," Samus growled. "And you're arrogant for assuming that the Chozo have made mistakes in the past. What mistakes could they have possibly made?"

"_You_ are the one who is arrogant," Mother barked. "You are assuming that your own personal experiences have made you knowledgeable with the Chozo than I. I was built specifically to know _everything_ about the Chozo. Do not assume you know more than me, child!"

Samus felt a pang of fear from Mother's tone. The AI had gradually sounded more and more angry throughout the conversation and Samus timidly glanced back towards the door. If the AI had gone insane, then things were going to be more difficult than she had anticipated.

Mother floated upward triumphantly. "I can remember these facts as if I had witnessed them for myself, Samus. You could never envision the Chozo at the height of their prosperity. A species that took pride in their technology, the most advanced in the galaxy, and perhaps the most advanced in the universe. They were a successful civilization, Samus, but like all expanding species, their very existence devolved into open warfare. After centuries of conflict, the Chozo sealed their own doom and they would never recover. Their numbers had been spread too thinly to sustain a viable population and their great longevity prevented them from reproducing quickly enough to save themselves."

Now the monitor tilted itself in a very organic expression of amusement. "In the millennia that followed, the Chozo made decisions that would impact their way of life drastically. They forcibly bred their warmongering ways out, permanently crippling themselves through the loss of their wings. Mental therapy helped suppress these violent urges with the implementation of a 'mental guard,' a condition that prevents all Chozo from harming sentient beings. Now that they could no longer participate in open conflict, their thoughts turned to bettering the galaxy, helping others prosper so that the Chozo could find some shred of relief that they did _something_ with their lives. And they tried, Samus. They certainly tried."

"They tried and they succeeded!" Samus shot back. "The Chozo formed the Galactic Federation, a body that is meant to unite the known galaxy! What have the Space Pirates done toward prosperity through democracy?"

"A corrupt and quickly aging body," Mother corrected. "The Federation was a grand idea, but it should have _remained_ an idea. However, the need for a unified society did implement the one idea that they needed to consolidate their data to begin the foundation of the Federation. Thus, to put _that_ idea into action so that their grand design could come to fruition, the Chozo created _me_."

Gray Voice smiled as he gestured at the being in the tank. "Mother is our most important achievement," he proclaimed. "She was the one who crafted the very existence of the Federation in the beginning and did it to perfection. In a sense, Samus, you could say that Mother was the very one who led galactic society to unity."

"Gray, listen to what you're saying!" Samus cried, shocked that a person that had cared over her for most of her life could possibly betray everything he once stood for. "You built the Federation together with Mother and now you want to tear it down?!"

"The Chozo cannot oversee the fruits of their efforts forever," Mother answered in lieu of Gray Voice. "They did not anticipate the extent to which the Federation could get out of their hands. What started as a simple ruling body quickly became a committee filled with hundreds of squabbling politicians vying for nothing but their own self-interests. And this all took place within this generation's lifetime, Samus. It became an unstable organism at the very moment of its creation! From the very beginning, the Federation was fated to wither and die. If the Federation was incapable of restoring order to the galaxy, then another body had to be created, or perhaps _sought_."

"That's not true! This was not the way the Chozo would have wanted!"

"Who's to say that for sure? Within the next hundred years, all the Chozo will be gone for good. I have inherited the culture and knowledge of the Chozo, thus making the elders obsolete. I will carry on their will of prosperity and bring about the new progress they have always envisioned."

"Think, Samus," Gray Voice pleaded. "We are so close to the peace we have imagined for millennia! All you have to do is stand with us."

"No!" Samus yelled as she turned away, feeling the gazes of Gray Voice and Mother burn straight into her head. "I…I can't!"

"You have heard the logic for yourself, Samus," Mother calmly pushed on. "If the Chozo elders cannot be of service any more, then what use are they to the galaxy? To me? I am the embodiment of their destiny, Samus, and you by my side can share in a galaxy where there is no conflict, no fear, no despair. Join us, and we can change everything together!"

"This is not the destiny of the Chozo! Mother, you have gone mad!"

The monitor floated down, just out of arm's reach of Samus. "And what would indicate the validity of such a statement?" Mother asked flatly. "Change is a natural part of life and the introduction of new partners, ones that brim with a youthful energy, is troubling to you? Samus, you can ensure that the Pirates never have to resort to their unlawful ways ever again. With us as the directors, we can craft the Pirates into a force that will be capable of restoring all order to the galaxy as we know it! If you do not want them to raid colonies any more, then say the word and it will be done. If you don't want the Pirates to torture other lifeforms for sport, just give them the order. You have the power to change everything, Samus. You can save this galaxy with merely a single word."

"Oh…my…god…" Samus moaned as her knees began to shake.

"Samus, do not worry about the Chozo anymore," Mother said smugly as the creature encased in the vat of nutrient liquid seemed to squirm in delight. "You have the potential to shape everything as you want it to be. All you have to do is say…_'yes_.'"

"_Help me…_" Samus whispered as she slowly sunk to the ground, her left arm shielding her visor so she would not have to look out anymore. "_Someone…please…help me…_"

* * *

Kreatz cursed as his foot slipped on a bed of pebbles, causing him to flail about. Luckily, he managed to grab hold of the rock wall he was currently scaling, anchoring him firmly in place. Ahead of him on the path, Mauk looked behind to see if Kreatz was all right. Kreatz waved him on, signaling that he was fine, albeit a little winded.

He tried not to look down, knowing that he would simply lapse into another spell of vertigo if he did. Pyonchi had led them on a twisting staircase of a trail up a mountain range, the path marred by dusty boulders and steep inclines. Mauk was having an easier time of it than Kreatz was, due to his longer legs and more powerful physique. Kreatz was now in the midst of praying for the onslaught to end, his legs aching fiercely.

Meanwhile, Pyonchi was sitting at the summit a few meters above their head, not looking tired at all. Actually, the rabbilis seemed to be capable of scaling the face of the mountain several times in quick succession. It made Kreatz feel so impotent that a creature with a lower functioning brain was making him look like a fool. He was about to sarcastically quip at the rabbilis to see if there was an easier route they could have taken. But he didn't, for Kreatz had not reached that pinnacle of despair yet.

Mauk, on the other hand, had just finished catching up to Pyonchi. The way the furry little creature was acting, he swore that it was impatient with him and Kreatz's relative dawdling. Pyonchi's little foot was tapping in an infuriated and annoyed rhythm, trying to make them hike faster. A very sentient expression, Mauk noted.

"You know," he addressed Pyonchi, "we aren't all like Samus. She's the one who probably can scale this thing as fast as you, not us. Take it easy."

Mauk didn't know why he was talking to Pyonchi, but his doing so did seem to calm the rabbilis down some. Mauk smiled at the effect his words had and reflexively checked his chronometer. His face fell slightly as it denoted that there were only ten hours left before the fleet arrived, after which the surface of Zebes would most likely be cratered into oblivion. Ten hours to find any hostages and move out. Things were beginning to look tight.

A bout of wheezing drew Mauk's attention over as Kreatz crested the hill, sweat pouring down his face. Pyonchi wasted no time in letting him rest, though, for he took off down the mountainside into the next valley, kicking up small clouds of dust. Mauk grinned as he slapped his friend on the back, trying to kick him in gear. "Cheer up, Kreatz. Look at it this way; it's all downhill from here."

"Oh…perfect," Kreatz gasped, not catching the joke.

* * *

Samus staggered to her feet, her boots grating over the gritty floor as the hallway seemed to extend before her eyes. She blinked out condensation and licked her dry lips, remembering to breathe in her nose and out through her mouth. Now, she began to mentally conserve her energy, readying her body to make a move if necessary. Her arms felt tight, every cord of muscle shrieking, and her hands minutely shook.

As if sensing Samus' fear, Mother's monitor hovered down some more. "Has your mind been changed, Samus? Or do you still need more convincing that this is the path you were meant to tread?"

"You don't need to waste any more time," Samus growled as she straightened her knees. "I do not want to join the Space Pirates. My path does not lie with them, but against them! Who are you to decide whether I should or should not join you?"

"Because I am the reason you are standing before me right now," Mother said evenly. "My very existence is the case that you have been kept alive until now. Are you going to deny the myriad times when I have taken your life into my own hands? The constant instances when I looked over for you during your stay here on Zebes as a young child? You owe a lot to me, Samus. You could start by following your destiny, out of respect to me."

Samus snorted, incredulous. "Why should I show any loyalty to you, Mother? You have only looked out for me because the Chozo ordered you to! You are not the reason that I stand before you today!"

"Really?" Mother hissed, so quietly it was almost a whisper. "You know, because the Chozo lost their capability to possess weapons of any sort after all of their genetic culls, I was also created to offer logistical support by managing the defensive systems on Zebes. And so, when you came along, I was tasked to create a tool that would help augment your skills, preserve your life against the dangers that this galaxy had to offer." Samus did not know what to say so Mother continued. "Yes, Samus. I speak of the Power Suit, the armor that has made you who are today. You could not be the soldier the Chozo envisioned you to be without my nurturing care. Since I was responsible for your development, you could say that the bonds between us are like the ones shared between a mother…and a _daughter_."

"_Do not say that!_" Samus yelled, the urge to vomit now increasing in intensity. Her entire body was rattling helplessly within the armor, desperate to curl up in a ball and force the outside world out completely. "You…are _not_ my mother! I don't care how you think of it, it's not possible!"

"It does not matter if you deny the truth," Mother said, the great being in the tank floating, oblivious to the needs of organics below. "Ever since you arrived, you have been _everyone's_ daughter on Zebes, Samus. Your biological parents are dead, yes, but you gained new ones: the Chozo and I. If you do not think of me as your guardian, then what am I to you? But…consider this. Why you? Why would you, of all people, become ushered into the Chozo way of life? What was it that made you so special?"

_Samus…_ whispered a voice that was not her own.

"Dad?" she breathed back, only having heard a glimpse of the sound before it faded into the noise of the chamber. The voice was fleetingly familiar, but there was not enough time to fully realize whom it belonged to.

_I will take care of you…_

"Don't go!" she quietly pleaded. "Please…_help me_."

"…you were chosen because the Chozo needed one final member to add to their family," Mother was droning in the background. "Having found you, an orphan, the Chozo elected to spirit you here. You may think you're different than everyone else, Samus, but if it were not for us, if Chozo genes had not been injected into you, you would not be the extraordinary hybrid you are today. You would be a pathetic human girl, doomed to waste away on a colony world. You would have been _nothing_ if it wasn't for me!"

"I…" Samus stammered, becoming more and more shaken. "I…I…"

"You were trained in the arts of war. You could accomplish physical feats of strength no prime member of your original species ever could by the time you were eight years old. You became everything the Chozo wanted you to be. From the beginning, what you are now is the culmination of their plan, the master stroke that has all hinged upon you."

"T-Then…" Samus muttered. "What did the Chozo want me to be?"

"A _bio-weapon_," Mother announced smugly.

Memories of her being led down the halls by Old Bird washed over Samus like a flood. She recalled passing by an old mural, one which she scratched a picture of her, Old Bird, and Gray Voice as a reminder. Samus remembered being led into a chamber that contained a vat of green liquid. Inside that vat stood a tall, powerful looking silhouette. Old Bird had then told her that what was inside was a suit of armor…and that it would be hers someday.

She had pressed herself up to the glass, watching in awe as the liquid distorted the shape of the Power Suit. Wires snaked around the metallic shield and she had gasped aloud as the suit twitched to an electrical pulse. It looked scary, but she had wanted to try it on anyway.

Was this Old Bird's intention all along? To indoctrinate her into a life of war? Was this really the path that he led her on this whole time?

"You're lying…" Samus said numbly.

"Am I? Samus, are you going to deny what you are out of pride? You have grown to be a spectacular weapon, the results even greater than the Chozo originally envisioned! As your _parent_…I am proud of you."

"_Shut up!_" Samus screamed as she fumbled to lift her arm cannon, the effort feeling like she was hefting a few hundred pounds. She looked at Gray Voice, who had remained silent throughout the exchange. She silently begged for him to intervene, to support her. To tell her everything that she had just been told was all a lie. "Gray…you didn't see me like that…"

Gray Voice sighed as he scratched the back of his neck. His eyes, however, never left Samus' visor. "Samus…" he said flatly, "Mother is right. You have become what Old Bird and I wanted you to be, nothing more. This was your destiny from the beginning, everyone knew it."

"But…" Samus mumbled as she shrank back slightly. "You _cared_ about me. You saved me. You wouldn't have wanted to…manipulate me into a…a…a _weapon_…right?"

The tall Chozo turned his head away, slitting his eyes fiercely. "_Wrong_," he rasped. "That was your purpose this whole time. You were nothing but a _tool_."

"NO!" Samus roared, her limbs quaking with rage. "You're lying! I wasn't something you could just discard! I was not meant to be your weapon!"

"Just accept it, Samus," Gray Voice wilted as he growled bitterly. "You had no idea of the plans we had for you, so why are you acting like you even had a choice? We kept you in the hopes that you could carry out our wishes and now your time has come. Are you just going to stand there and turn your back on your duty?"

"_Duty?!_" Samus yelled. "My only duty was to be a warrior and protect the galaxy! I am not a weapon! You can't just expect me to betray everything you've taught me for my whole life, Gray!"

"Perhaps we should have instilled some sort of mental programming in your cortex when you first came here, then," Mother offered. "Had we known that you would become insufferable and petulant at this news we should have gone with the procedure to alter your frontal lobe, forgoing any consequences that you could become damaged from such an operation."

"The only one who's insufferable here is you!" Samus cried as she raised her cannon and leveled shot after shot towards Mother's tank. "I'm not a machine like you!" she shouted each time she squeezed the trigger. "I'm not something you can just reprogram! _I will never join you!_"

The yellow beams screamed through the stale air straight towards the target, but seconds before impact, a hazy red shield sprung up around the tank, casting Mother's apparatus in red static. The beams bounced off the shield and rocketed in different directions, charring the nearby walls of the facility. Sparks flew as the shield angrily responded to the energy bolts but it remained active.

Samus did not know if it was sweat running down her face or tears, causing her eyesight to become blurry, but she focused around her heads-up-display and continued to fire at Mother, her fingers becoming numb after squeezing the trigger over and over again. After it seemed that she had definitely made no progress, she released her grip and watched her overheated weapon cool.

Mother seemed amused by the futile display. "My, my…" she clucked. "Is something wrong Samus? Did you really think that I would be foolish enough to arm you with weapons that could actually _hurt_ me? Your current armaments cannot penetrate this Zebetite shield, which is akin to the same technology that encompasses Zebes' planetary defenses."

"Damn it…" Samus spat, her breathing wet and labored. She looked around the room, desperate to find some component that was not shielded, something that she could take offline. An initial scan revealed that there was nothing of value close by. She was useless here.

"In any case," Mother sighed. "Gray Voice and I have said all we wanted to say regarding the matter of your compliance. Now, I regret having to come to this, but there is a _third_ member who wishes to share his thoughts. Samus, allow me to introduce…"

A rumbling sound cut the AI off as part of the ceiling cut away, revealing a long shaft of sunlight. Samus was too distracted to focus on this new development, but noticed when a sudden shadow cut the incoming illumination off. Her body felt sluggish as she turned, the sensation like being underwater. Her audio sensors picked up a slight hint of noise, almost like something was flapping in the wind. A huge rush of air suddenly pushed at her and Samus could only see a long, thickly armored tail that whipped toward her at breakneck speed. There was a sudden impact and she found herself flying through the air, numbly trying to figure out what had happened before she hit the ground hard, knocking the wind out of her.

Coughing, she struggled to get up but her arms did not seem to be working properly, skidding on the ground, not allowing her purchase. Samus was dimly aware of an enormous shape flying above her but could not concentrate on it, not until it slammed down on the ground, the metal floor easily carrying the shockwave across. Samus heard the scratching sound of talons and large breathing. Terrified, she willed herself to look up.

To her horror, she recognized the new arrival instantly.

_You may call me…_

"R-_Ridley_…?" Samus mouthed, her voice suddenly dying midway in her throat. Everything seemed to loosen, her entire life losing all control in front of her. Samus felt like she had stumbled into a nightmare and waited to wake up. But this time, respite did not come.

Now, she realized too late that she had miscalculated all along. The Chozo elders were not the target. _She_ was. She had fallen into the trap hook, line, and sinker.

The dragon shook the ground as he stepped forward, appraising the armored Samus lying down in front of him. His muscles rippling, Ridley managed a laugh as he beat his wings in victory, ruffling Gray Voice's robes on the other side of the room.

With a low chuckle from his sharp mouth, Ridley smirked as he approached the prone Samus, his wings still pounding the air fiercely. "_So_," he announced dangerously, "this is the weapon you've told me about, Mother Brain? _This_ tiny weakling?"

Lying on the ground, Samus' world began to grow dark.

* * *

_**A/N: Well, that's the first volume of the manga adapted! But, we still have not even reached the halfway point. There's still a lot more to go with this story and it only feels like I've just gotten started.**_

_**In the manga, the exchange between Samus, Gray Voice, and Mother Brain is done rather well, apart from a few missing points that details exactly how Mother came into contact with the Space Pirates. I threw a few lines in there to at least address how that came to be, among other things. This is one of the more important conversations that occurs in the manga and it required a lot of attention to detail.**_

_**One of the other things that I have been steadily altering in the manga is the use of strong language. Due to the fact that there are technically no swear words in the Japanese language, whoever translated the manga thought it necessary to drop a few choice words including the f-bomb occasionally. I have no beef with using such words in stories, but there has been no precedent for their use in any other Metroid media at all. Therefore, such language is distracting to me and I feel it detracts from the overall story, so that's something I'm just cutting out whenever I come across them.**_

_**Are you ready for more?**_

_**LawrenceSnake: Yeah, yeah...so I made a typo in a document this size while my mind was obviously elsewhere. You got me, I'm human.**_


	8. Chapter 8: Scar

Samus felt drained, tired. She felt like she wanted to lie down and sleep, thus erasing the sight from her memory. Moving was becoming a struggle, its own fight taking place on a separate battlefield. Grit coated her visor and she shakily wiped a portion of it clean, but it did no good in getting her out of this hell.

Ridley still stood in front of her, exactly like she remembered him. The ancient dragon spat fire and his eyes blazed fury. His shiny black body gleamed under the light and Ridley cackled at Samus' inability to stand, an overbearing presence that loomed in front of her existence.

_He is here_, the thought popped into her head of its own accord. _The murderer…the demon…_

_Be calm_, the other presence admonished. _Stay focused. You can get through this._

Her teeth were chattering violently, the noise distracting within the helmet. Samus fumbled with her arm cannon as her left arm supported her upper torso, her elbow jiggling as it supported her weight. As soon as she saw her reticle float over Ridley's outline, she clenched her fist as fast as she could, despite the trembling of her fingers, her arm gently bouncing from the recoil of the energy bolts she unleashed in his direction.

However, Ridley stood and let the shots wash over him. The bolts merely dissipated as they made contact with the dragon's armored hide, sparking uselessly. Samus was firing in irregular intervals by this point, her despair making her grip grow weaker and weaker. Unfazed by the assault, Ridley rumbled in amusement and lashed out his tail again, flipping Samus head over heels and she crashed on her back, temporarily stunned.

"Pathetic," Ridley grumbled, his claws scraping away the debris formed from his crashing arrival. He glanced over at where Gray Voice and Mother were positioned, a look of incredulity apparent in his eyes. "This," he gestured to Samus, "is not a 'weapon' worthy of my attention. It is disobedient and cannot even put up a decent fight, much less stand."

"While I would usually be quicker to defend my work, Ridley," Gray Voice said tonelessly as he watched, "I have to agree that you are right. Samus' movements have been severely restricted since your arrival and are unusually sluggish. Mother, any clarification?"

The spherical monitor swiveled in the direction of the neutralized Samus, who was now crawling along the floor on her chest, her legs unable to support herself. "There are no injuries to report to Samus' body," Mother announced. "Therefore the problem seems to have been manifested from an emotional reaction instead. Prior records could indicate that the presence of Ridley has caused this duress, causing a psychological lockdown."

"Post-traumatic stress disorder," Gray Voice realized, his gaze mixed with sadness and frustration. "This certainly is an unfortunate development."

"What? Disorder?" Ridley barked in the background. "What are you talking about? Are you telling me that you were going to offer me a _defective product_ as a token of this partnership?"

"Your continual interference is the only thing _destabilizing_ the product, Ridley," Gray Voice shot back. "I would advise you to wait and be patient. Let us see what becomes of this scenario."

Meanwhile, Samus groped at the seals of her helmet, sweat pouring down her face. The interior of the suit suddenly became stuffy and she was now aware of its constricting embrace around her lungs. She tried to inhale but she was not receiving any air. Samus felt her face grow warmer and coughed, splattering the interior of her visor with spittle. She fumbled at the neck seal for a few seconds until she suddenly lost her concentration, and the Power Suit fizzled out of existence, leaving her in her military uniform on the ground, uncovered.

Samus gasped in the musty air of the chamber, drool trailing from her mouth. Air flooded her lungs, causing her to hack uncontrollably. Her arms shook and she collapsed to the ground, dirt beginning to coat her uniform, soiling the black surface.

Whimpering, Samus dimly became aware of the stench of rotting flesh before the hot breath of Ridley passed her by. She didn't dare turn her head, knowing that the dragon was mere feet away, looking down on her with an expression of disbelief.

"Another unexpected surprise, Gray Voice," Ridley crowed sourly. "It appears that the interior of your superior weapon contains nothing but a human female." His nostrils flared and his eyes slanted. "Then that explains the unique stink that I've been detecting this whole time I've been here. You mean that the soldier that you were offering me as a compatriot is nothing but a weak…worthless…_human?_"

Before Gray Voice could argue, Ridley swung his arm, catching Samus in the middle. With a _whump! _as the air was removed from her lungs, Samus was airborne for a second before her back impacted onto a large rock that had been dislodged from the ceiling. She screamed from the pain, the sensation feeling like she had just been stabbed.

She was not given any time to recover for Ridley shot his face to within a foot of Samus', forcing her to look straight into his reptilian eyes, seeing the cold-bloodedness embedded in them. Samus gulped, only remembering the fire that had killed her mother, and the laughter that the creature in front of her had uttered. Her own cries echoed in her head and the onslaught of tears began to mount up, already preparing for their charge. Everything froze in Samus' mind, unable to respond correctly as she faltered.

Ridley sniffed the air once more, taking great interest in Samus' reaction before he pulled back. "Gray, something is wrong," he hissed.

The Chozo huffed under his breath. "And what could possibly be the problem _now_, Lord Ridley?"

"This female…she's different," he tilted his head in Samus' direction. "Why is this one so paralyzed by fear? Many of her kind have exhibited cowardice in my presence, yes, but look at her! This one is practically catatonic. It's like she has seen me before in some way."

"That could very well be a possibility," Gray Voice admitted. "You see, Samus was the only survivor of the K-2L invasion, an attack which _you_ perpetrated. We brought her here after finding her alive on that planet and she had been under our care for a few years afterward."

Recognition to that fateful day flashed across Ridley's face. His jaw opened a bit, revealing every one of his sharp teeth. He whirled back to Samus, who was still trying to push herself away, as if the rock she was lying against could swallow her up and offer protection from the rapidly approaching storm.

Something connected in Ridley's mind and he shot out an arm, unleashing a dreadful roar at the same time. His talons wrapped around Samus' head and dragged her over to him, her feet scraping on the floor. Samus could not utter a sound even if she tried, for the pain of Ridley's nails digging into her flesh combined with the mental shock had driven her to the point of complete paralysis.

"_This pitiful creature?!_" Ridley bellowed in disbelief. "This human survived that colony's destruction while my forces did not?" He swiveled his head to face Gray Voice. "And you chose _her_ to be your ultimate weapon?"

When the question failed to produce a reply from either Gray Voice or Mother, Ridley responded by lifting Samus head up so that his eyes were glaring inches from her skull. Samus moaned as Ridley's claws gouged long scratches on her head, causing several trickles of blood to run down her face. "You lived…how is that possible?" Ridley snarled. "_You_ managed to avoid that afloraltite explosion which completely decimated the surrounding area? Even_ I_ could not escape the inferno! I was engulfed in it for so long that my armor melted, my wings disintegrated, and my heart almost stopped beating. When the fires finally died down, I had to resort to scavenge vital nutrients in order to begin my regenerative processes."

Ridley gnashed his teeth, dripping saliva on to the ground. Samus continued to whimper in his strong grip, unable to open her eyes. Ridley looked miffed at Samus' lack of speech but continued anyway. "It was a horrible process, but you would not believe what I had to do in order to survive. Go on, take a guess at what I had to feed from on your pathetic world to rejuvenate myself. No, nothing? Well, I'll tell you anyway. It…was…_flesh!_"

The word bounced around the chamber, the revolting implications not producing a reaction from Gray Voice. Mother remained mercifully silent and Samus continued to shake.

"Charred, half-cooked, raw, it did not matter!" Ridley raged. "Somehow, I managed to acquire enough nutrients by consuming the bodies of your kind, tossed every which way from the blast." Ridley's tongue snaked out for a brief second as he shook Samus in his grip. "But, no matter what I had to eat, the flesh from humans always tasted disgusting. I can still detect the foul palate on my tongue from your presence! How I desecrated myself that day, by consuming your kind. To this day…I still consider it a transgression!"

Finally fed up, Ridley furiously hurled Samus to the ground, a few drops of her blood staining his claws. Samus hit the floor hard and immediately began clutching at her arm after a small _pop_ had been audible. Samus curled up into a ball, twitching in agony. Tiny gasps could be heard emitting from her as she tried to form words, but all that could be understood were fragments, completely unintelligible.

Ridley's long mouth curled into a deadly smile. "Humans…so fragile. They never have demonstrated the type of resilience when faced with the death of their own kind." Now he lowered himself down to the ground, emulating the pose of a predator about to pounce. "Perhaps my being here is fortuitous, human. Your precious mother might have been assimilated into my body so that I could live, you know. She could very well be here," he said as he pointed to his shoulder. "Or _here_," as he now indicated his wing. "It probably doesn't matter. I would have had to be desperate to consume such a creature as cooked as she was. Direct hit from a fireball like that probably burned her to a crisp. The thought sickens me, frankly, for I would usually be loath to even scavenge from such a mangled corpse."

Blinking, Ridley waited for Samus to speak but only got more frustrated as she jerked around on the ground, twitching in fear. Ridley swung his arm again and shunted Samus back a few feet, making her roll around limply. "Does that not disgust you, human?!" he roared, wanting a reaction. "The very thought that I might have eaten your family does not raise a word of protest out of you? Acknowledge me, you pathetic worm! _Acknowledge me!_"

A derisive snort drew Ridley's attention away from the still Samus. Gray Voice walked around, a sneer on his beak. "If you're going to continually smack Samus around, Ridley, then your list of allies will become rather shorter. Why do you persist in interrogating her if she has proved herself unable to speak when you're around?"

"Because I want to know exactly why you thought that welcoming her into our ranks would be a good idea!" Ridley screamed. "She can't fight, she can't talk, she's useless! Face it, Chozo, you have offered me a product that is _broken_!"

"Your continuous handling of Samus is not exactly helping matters much," Gray Voice pointed out. "See the way she's clutching her wrist? You probably snapped it from throwing her down too hard."

"A broken wrist will be the least of her problems once I am through with her. I had been promised technology and weapons by Mother Brain and your only direct contribution has been a half-mute human who can't do anything but cry! You are _pitiful_, old man!"

"Watch your tongue, Ridley!" Gray Voice said sharply. "I have been lenient with you this whole time but you underestimate Samus' capabilities. I will not overlook any direct insults towards me or my work and I am fed up with your attitude. If you would just give Samus the chance-"

"_Chance?!_" Ridley barked in a laugh. "Give _her_ a chance? She's had plenty of chances to prove to me that she is nothing better than a weakling! And yet, I still find myself waiting. I'm not known for my patience, Gray Voice, and I'm personally tired of arguing over this topic so I think that I shall put it to an end right now." He lifted Samus up in his grip once more and held her up. Her body caught the light and her blond hair shimmered from the blood matting it down to her skull. Ridley opened his mouth and prepared to spout a long gout of flame, roasting the human in his hands. Smoke rose from the dragon's nostrils, his gut baking.

"_Stop!_" Gray Voice shouted as he ran forward. "I warn you, Ridley, if you damage Samus any more I will break off whatever agreement you made with Mother. Samus is _my_ bargaining chip for this whole arrangement and I will not see her eliminated by your hand!"

Ridley's wings furled up and he gave an incredulous snort. "You don't have any say in the matter, Chozo. She is mine to do with now, and I have declared that she is of no use to me. Why would I keep such a creature as baggage? She would even do poorly as a _pet_." Ridley's eyes glanced up at the ceiling as a thought came to him, the beginnings of a smile already tracing up his face. "But…I'll grant you a final ultimatum in this case. I will allow you some respect and drop the matter if you fulfil one condition to me."

"And what would that be?"

Opening his skeletal hand, Samus collapsed to the floor, still holding her wrist. Ridley's wings beat the air once and he stepped away, drawing himself to his full height as he pointed at the human. "I should think that it would be obvious. I want you to _kill her_, of course."

"H-Help…" Samus coughed weakly. "H-H-H-Help…m-me…"

Gray Voice fixed Samus with a long, hard look. He clasped his hands behind his back as he regarded the feeble woman. It was hard to tell what the Chozo was thinking, for his gaze expressed sadness, anger, and even a bit of disappointment. He lifted his eyes and saw Ridley hovering over Samus, expecting him to make the next move, his teeth bared eagerly. With a regretful sigh, Gray Voice straightened his already erect back and gave a curt shake of his head.

"I'm afraid I cannot do that, Ridley," he said, glancing away purposefully.

Ridley tilted his head in confusion. "What do you mean?" he asked. "Is that an outright refusal or is there an underlying reason for your skittishness to shed blood?"

"It is a metaphysical aspect that is prevalent in all Chozo," Gray Voice explained. "I am physically incapable of killing Samus."

"I doubt that," Ridley huffed. "Killing something is _easy_. All you have to do is point a gun and fire. Hell, you can even strangle her with your bare fists, I don't care which. Are you going to throw this chance away to save this human's life? Is that what I'm supposed to glean from this?"

"Absolutely not," Gray Voice snorted. "What I'm telling you that it's just impossible for me, or any other Chozo, to kill or even hurt. We have a working mental guard that reacts violently whenever we do harm to another living creature deliberately. It would kill me if I were to kill Samus outright, you see."

"That is unacceptable!" Ridley spat. "How can you possibly become part of the Space Pirates if you do not even have the will to take a life, Gray Voice? Killing is our way of life and if you cannot accept it, then what use can you bring to me?"

"Stop with the childish outbursts, Ridley. The Space Pirates respond to _leadership_, not just feats of brute force. Now, _my_ terms have been set, for you cannot kill Samus lest you risk my departure from the ranks, and I cannot kill her for you due to the natural handicap of the Chozo."

"So it seems we're at an impasse," Ridley grumbled.

"So it seems," Gray Voice acknowledged tiredly. "But, I'd suggest that you consider my next words carefully, Ridley." He pointed to the now-fainted human on the floor. "Samus is still a child and she has yet to reach her full potential in terms of her capabilities. Once the shock wears off, we may be able to convince her to join us yet. There are ways of manipulation that have proven satisfactory with the results you seek."

"You mean _torture_."

"Call it whatever you wish, the outcome will be the same. Samus will be able to utilize her Power Suit once her mind is fully concentrated and we will then release her to join our ranks. Don't be too hasty to write her off simply because she fared better than you in an attack that you instigated in the first place!"

Ridley lowered his head down to the ground, almost like if he was considering swallowing up Samus in a single gulp just to get rid of the need to debate. His eyes flickered over to Mother's monitor, but the AI remained silent. He mentally huffed; if the AI was not speaking up, then it probably shared Gray Voice's point of view. Well, if he was outnumbered, then better to wash his hands clean.

"_Fine_," the dragon conceded with a disgusted wave of his clawed hand. "She may live, for now."

"I'm glad you could see things my way," Gray Voice said with a tight smile. "But we must not delay any further. Sooner or later, the Federation could catch word of Zebes' occupation, and before we become embroiled in another argument, I would suggest that we check on the status of your troops in the next room, and of your latest _acquisition_. We must be prepared for any eventuality."

"Sounds reasonable," Ridley nodded as he turned towards the large doors in the corner. He got maybe five steps before he halted in place. Craning his neck, Ridley gestured towards the still unconscious Samus on the ground. "Did you have a plan for the human, Gray Voice? Do you think it is wise to simply leave her there unshackled?"

"Of course not," Gray Voice shook his head. "She is to be with us at all times. I would not risk the chance of her escaping our clutches, at least not when she is in this state."

"My thoughts exactly. But, since you seem to be somewhat preoccupied, I hope you don't mind if _I _am the one to transport her?" Ridley said this with a grin as he bared the claws on his hands.

"You can _drag_ her to the lab for all I care," Gray Voice dismissed. "It makes no difference to me now."

* * *

The Pirate patrol clomped over the grating, causing the metal to rattle with their heavy footfalls. The four bipedal aliens lazily scanned the corridors as they moved down the cavernous hallways, occasionally sniffing the air for any hostiles.

Below the grated floor, though, Pyonchi, Kreatz, and Mauk crouched silently as they waited for the Space Pirates to pass by overhead. Dim lighting streamed down through the cracks, casting grid-like shadows on their faces. A dusty smell emanated from the crawlspace, causing all three to wrinkle their noses so that they would not unleash an unwanted sneeze.

Once the Pirates had gone through the nearby hatch, Pyonchi resumed leading the way. Kreatz and Mauk dutifully followed, keeping their movements quiet as they slowly crawled on through the tight area.

The rabbilis had led them to another access point after they had finished scaling the mountain range, giving them an alternate route into the facility. Almost immediately, the trio had found the place swarmed with Space Pirates, but Pyonchi had led them to a small maintenance tunnel which was unguarded, providing them a means to sneak through the place without alerting any guards. So far, everything had gone off without a hitch, but no one was stating the thought aloud.

Pyonchi rounded a tight corner and pawed at what appeared to be a dead end. The maintenance shaft appeared to terminate at a metal wall without warning, just a blank canvass at which denoted the end of the line. But, the rabbilis was acting in a way that made it obvious to Kreatz and Mauk that there was something of interest on the other side of the wall.

Putting trust in their guide, the two crawled to the wall and found four locking pins holding the surface in place. They quickly unlatched them and gently slid the surface open a crack, revealing an unexpected sight.

What was alarming at first was the fact that they appeared to be situated at least three stories above an expansive chamber. Close to them, a tall pillar with wires trailing on the ceiling and over the floor spilled out into the extent of the room. In the middle of this column sat a sphere containing some kind of liquid, a piece of technology so old moss was starting to grow around it. It had a very alien look about it of the kind Kreatz and Mauk had never laid eyes on before.

Their eyes followed the trail of wires across the ground and everyone murmured in surprise as they saw a dozen cylinders positioned near the doorway in rows of four. Pirates were patrolling between the cylinders and their patterns also included five larger vats set directly on the far wall, much larger than the cylinders closest to the access hatch. Kreatz fumbled in his pack for his macro-binoculars and switched them on to run in low visibility.

"You see the elders yet, Kreatz?" Mauk whispered to him as he slid the hatch back, leaving a crack for Kreatz to look out of.

"Not yet," Kreatz frowned. "I'm checking out what's in those cylinders, though."

As he looked through the lens, Kreatz scrunched his face up in concentration, trying to penetrate the shadows spilling from the tanks. With a click of a new filter, the image around the subject, but it perfectly illuminated what sat in the rows upon rows of cylinders.

Space Pirates, each one inhabiting its own tank. They floated in a dead-man's position while the liquid submerging them frothed furiously. It almost looked like the Pirates were getting boiled in these tanks from Kreatz's point of view. But before he could shift his attention, he saw a new ridge of spines begin to protrude from the Pirate in the tank through the broiling foam. The thing's head began to elongate as waves of energy rippled through it and the implications quickly registered on Kreatz of what the Pirates were doing.

"They're _altering_ themselves," he breathed out loud as the rest of the Pirates summarily twitched in their cylindrical tanks. "The Pirates are using the technology of the Chozo to adapt their bodies to the harsh environment of Zebes."

"Guess that explains why we found that mutated Pirate out there in the wasteland," Mauk grimaced. "Still no sign of the elders?"

"Still searching…just one more…aha! Found them! Control room in the corner, top right."

Kreatz passed the macro-binoculars to Mauk and scooted out of the way so that his friend could now see. Mauk sighted through the lens and nodded in satisfaction. "I count thirteen in total," Mauk reported. "No idea how many elders there were to begin with but that will have to do. We have about eight hours left, so we have enough time to extract them."

Mauk zoomed in, squinting as he focused the sights and made a sharp intake of breath in surprise. "Wait a minute…" he mumbled.

Kreatz looked over in apprehension. "What is it, Mauk?"

"I recognize the Chozo in the middle," Mauk said as he adjusted the focus, looking at a particular wizened Chozo with sagging feathers around his jowls, one with a long beak and a tall, proud head. "His name's Platinum Chest. He's the one who lobbied to the Federation on behalf of my people to become a part of the galactic society. It's _enraging_ to see him in a position like this. He had no reason to support us but he did so anyway and now he's the one locked up in a cage."

"Cheer up, big guy," Kreatz elbowed Mauk playfully. "Think of this as the perfect opportunity. You now have the chance to return the favor to your benefactor, Mauk!"

Mauk grinned behind the macro-binoculars. "I guess you're right, Kreatz. It would be a pleasure to show my appreciation in some way. But…we have a problem."

"If it's the three guards you're referring to down there, I wouldn't worry. We can take them out no problem if we-"

"I'm not worried about the Pirates," Mauk shook his head. "It's what's in those large vats over there. The ones by the door. They're full of those odd floating creatures that Old Bird warned us about."

"What? Let me see!" Mauk held the macro-binoculars up and Kreatz maneuvered into position. He lifted his gaze up and his jaw dropped a good inch as he saw the beings in the tank float, defying the laws of gravity. "Ohhh…" he groaned. "Yeah, you're right, Mauk. They're definitely Metroids. Got about ten in each tank so that makes at least fifty in total."

Pyonchi brushed his tail nervously and Mauk grimaced. "Fifty…" he sighed. "That's just perfect. If they get unleashed everyone in this room is certainly going to be dead. I'd rather not become part of that statistic, Kreatz."

"Neither would I," his friend said as he checked the ammo in his submachine gun. "So that's why we're going to do this quiet and smart. Only shoot the guards when they're facing _away_ from the vats. I'll circle around and free the elders while you-"

A clanking sound from the opening of the laboratory doors cause Kreatz to shut up instantly. He hunkered back as the sounds of a commotion began to arise. As the doors rumbled open, long shadows began to play havoc across the floor. Mauk swore silently, annoyed that their chance to act had been lost. He slid the hatch door shut even further, allowing only a single sliver for everyone to look out of.

"Oh boy," Kreatz mumbled as a large creature, one that resembled a dragon, strode inside. This being was at least four times larger than Mauk and looked far more deadly. Kreatz seemed to be shrinking more and more at the fearsome sight while Mauk tapped his shoulder.

"There's a Chozo down there," he whispered as a tall form skirted around the huge beast. "But…it's odd. It looks like he's _helping_ the Pirates."

"Who cares?" Kreatz sighed. "We can't very well get down there now. Not with that huge bastard in the way. I mean, look at him! He takes up the whole room!"

"Wait a second…" Mauk murmured, surprised as he saw the huge forms adjust themselves. "The dragon's carrying someone. Looks like a person."

"So who is it? Another elder?"

Mauk turned back to Kreatz, a funny look on his face. "It's _Samus_."

* * *

Ridley rudely deposited the faintly stirring Samus at Gray Voice's feet as he stalked over to the vats containing the Metroids in the corner. He sat on his hind legs as he got within a few meters, drawing himself up so that he could bask in the green glow of the nutrient liquid that surrounded the organisms. Light shone through the membrane of his wings, highlighting the huge veins that webbed underneath the surface. The contrasting light gave the dragon a hellish quality, only intensified from the red glimmer from his eyes.

"Ah, yes!" Ridley sighed in anticipation, gently stroking the glass. "A magnificent specimen, Mother. Now…_this_ is a bio-weapon of a grand design, Gray Voice! It's only a shame that you were not the one to offer this to me initially."

"Actually," Mother reported as she swung her monitor close to Ridley, "_Gray Voice_ was the one who created the very first Metroid specimen, with my help of course. As much as I relish the credit, I feel that I must make it clear exactly whom it should be delegated to."

"How magnanimous of you," Ridley growled as he now fixated Gray Voice with a glare. "So…you have more surprises up your sleeves than I thought, Chozo! Well played indeed."

Gray Voice gave an ironic bow. "I'm pleased that you are satisfied with the results of our collaborative efforts, Ridley. I hope that both Metroid and Samus are considered acceptable offers to you."

"I have not decided whether the human is worth the tradeoff yet," Ridley rumbled. "But, I am impressed at the ingenuity of these Metroids you speak of. With them at our side, we will have the ability to ravage this galaxy for the glory of all Space Pirates! They can be our ultimate weapon to highlight the coming of a new era!"

"Again, I am pleased that you find contentment with the potential benefits."

"Oh, I am pleased, Gray Voice. I am most certainly pleased. But…" Ridley stepped all the way around, the beginnings of a fire trailing from the corners of his mouth. "I have to confess that I feel a bit…lacking, somehow. There is something missing from all this but I can't seem to…" He mimicked putting himself deep in thought before he raised his eyes, finally glancing at the control booth parked in the corner, with the hostages still inside.

Ridley beat his wings a single time as he pointed a claw. "Get them out here right now!" he bellowed, the guards frantically rushing to please their master. In half a minute, the Chozo elders had been forcefully pushed out into the open hall, free for Ridley to fixate them with his almighty presence.

Gray Voice glanced back and forth between the elders and Ridley. "What are you doing?" he asked in concern.

"Simply tying up loose ends," Ridley gnashed his teeth. "For we have already taken all of the technology and creations that the elders have given us, there's nothing else that they can offer us now."

"Enough with the grandstanding," Gray Voice scowled. "Just state what your intent is."

"I came here, to this forsaken planet, with the intent to kill something," Ridley admitted bluntly. "I expected at least some form of resistance, something that would give me the opportunity to cause havoc and mayhem. What I did not expect was a complete capitulation from your entire species, thus ridding me of my chance! Now that we have exhausted the Chozo elders of their usefulness, can you think of anything else that they're good for? Do you think they're worth anything at all now?"

Avoiding the deadly breath of the dragon, Gray Voice swiveled his head very slowly, very deliberately. He saw the elders began to cluster in a group, Platinum Chest in the center. They did not adopt a stance of resistance but fateful acceptance. Gray Voice could see the slump in all of their shoulders, denoting how tired they were. It would be a mercy for them to end it like this. No one deserved to suffer in servitude for the rest of their lives.

A quiet moaning drew Gray Voice's attention away from the elders as Samus began to gain consciousness. She was still curled up in a fetal position, her broken wrist held tightly against her chest. Dried blood clung to her forehead and dripped onto the stone floor, the splotches dark in the dim lighting. He regarded her for a second until he realized that he still needed to give his smirking comrade an answer.

With a disgusted shake of his head, Gray Voice refused to look Ridley in the eye. "You don't need _my_ input in order to receive permission," he grunted. "Your mind is made up, Ridley. Do what you like with them."

Ridley narrowed his eyes and began to chuckle, his mouth dripping in amusement. "So…" he rumbled victoriously, "you fully acknowledge our way of life, Gray Voice?" Getting nothing but a scowl from the Chozo, Ridley laughed even harder. "You're more of a cold blooded bastard then I thought. You will make an excellent addition to the Space Pirates!"

The dragon then spread his wings and howled a roar, fire billowing from his mouth, coating the room in smoke and heat. The elders stood stoically, waiting for the inferno to consume them all. Samus, meanwhile, feebly raised her head from the floor and moaned in pain.

* * *

_**A/N: For some reason in the manga, Ridley blamed Samus for the entire K-2L debacle despite her not really having any impact on the invasion whatsoever. That reasoning did not make a whole lot of sense so I purged that without a second thought. Here, Ridley demonstrates a sense of animosity towards Samus based on the fact that she escaped K-2L relatively unscathed.**_

_**Expect the next couple of chapters to be dark, dark, dark. Considering some of the previous projects I've tackled in the past, it's going to be right up my alley.**_


	9. Chapter 9: Counterattack

Claws gouging on the rough floor, Ridley slowly crept forward, his mouth dripping eagerly. Gray Voice stepped aside to let him through and Ridley analyzed the elders one by one with a practiced eye. He scanned their expressions impatiently, finding no hint of anguish, fear, or overall misery. The dragon felt disappointment initially, but it quickly boiled into a hot rage at the sheer nerve of these Chozo to not even betray a gut reaction!

It was like the Chozo were attending a sermon, for their hands were clasped together and their heads were slightly bowed, almost as if they were in prayer. Blind acceptance never suited Ridley in his life and he vowed to elicit at least a tiny hint of fear before this day was over.

"_YOU!_" he bellowed at the Chozo standing at the front of the group, Platinum Chest. He abruptly whirled around and lashed out his tail in the Chozo's direction. The razor-sharp point narrowly evaded tearing Platinum Chest in half but the body of the tail quickly wrapped itself around the Chozo's neck, constricting it.

"You will be the first to die!" Ridley cackled as he effortlessly lifted Platinum Chest off the ground. The Chozo, despite his life hanging by a thread, did nothing to halt the inevitable. His hands did not try to grasp around the tail and pry it off his neck. He merely hung, softly wheezing as his vision began to darken.

Samus, still on the floor, was coughing as well, struggling to maintain consciousness as the commotion reached her ears. She shut her eyes and curled up into a ball even more, desperate to shut out everything, her heart threatening to beat itself out of her chest.

Platinum Chest was still hanging in the noose-like grip of Ridley's tail, but the enormous dragon did not exhibit his full strength quite yet. Rather, he continued to dangle the Chozo tauntingly, taking great pleasure in watching his prey's face turn red.

Ridley spotted Gray Voice still standing impassively to the side, trying to mask the look of disgust on his face. Ridley chuckled and waved his tail, bobbing Platinum Chest up and down painfully. "What's wrong, Gray Voice?" he snickered. "Having second thoughts? Don't tell me that you're getting uneasy from the deaths of your old friends?"

Gray Voice straightened his robes before clearing his throat. "I hope you'll forgive me, Ridley. I've never been one to play with my food."

"Right, you Chozo have never really experienced the joys of taking a life. A pity, that."

"What is a pity is of the lack of manners you're exhibiting right now," Gray Voice countered. "I've provided you with hostages to do with as you please and you repay me by rubbing my genetic shortcomings in my face?"

"It was just a-"

"-The least you could have done is shown me some gratitude at how lenient I've been with you this entire time, as I have not stooped so low as to point out all _your_ flaws to your face as well. Do you really want me to detail how incorrect you have been about your genetic superiority? How your genes have continually been manifested-"

"That's _enough!_" Ridley roared, thoroughly irritated at Gray Voice's nerve. "You…have made your point, Chozo. What would you have of me so that you may cease your insufferable diatribe?"

"Just get this over quickly! I haven't the stomach for this sort of thing."

Ridley grumbled as he waved his tail ever so slightly, trying to contain all of his rage before it burst out in a billowing flame. He regarded the Chozo standing defiantly in front of him, to the one still feebly choking in his grip, and finally flickered his gaze over to the still prostrate Samus. He snorted, all notions of arguing firmly eradicated from his mind.

"_Fine_," he hissed and immediately set about tightening his hold on Platinum Chest's neck. Trapped in the knot, the Chozo gagged.

* * *

High above, watching in horror through the crack in the wall, Mauk shouldered Kreatz aside to get a better view. "We've got to do something!" he growled as he prepared to burst into the chamber, his shotgun already out.

"Mauk, no!" Kreatz whispered frantically as he had to physically retrain him. "You can't take that thing on alone! He's got too many hostages at his disposal. You could hurt Platinum Chest and Samus!"

"Son of a-!" Mauk cursed as he forcibly relinquished Kreatz's grip on his arm but he stayed put. He knew his friend was right. There were too many hostages in the area that were well within firing range of Ridley. Besides, the huge chamber was littered with obstacles that gave the Pirates good cover. The elders would be out in the open, vulnerable to any crossfire.

"I know, Mauk. I know!" Kreatz assured. "But we can't just go in there and act rashly! We need to approach this more strategically!"

"And do you have any ideas on how to accomplish that?" Mauk seethed. "Platinum Chest could die at any moment, Samus is incapacitated, and we're the only ones who have the ability to do something!"

"And that is why we cannot mess any of this up! We have one shot at this, Mauk! We can't take these guys head on so we have to think of something else this time!"

"Well, hurry up and think of something!"

"I'm trying!" Kreatz shook his hands frantically. "The only thing I can think of is to rig explosives in another part of the facility as a distraction, but…"

"But _what_, Kreatz?" Mauk sighed.

"All of our explosive ordinance is back on the ship. We didn't lug them along because they would have been too heavy to heft over that mountain range."

"The _ship_…" Mauk's face went blank for a split second. Slowly, a knowing smile spread across his features and Mauk quickly reached for Kreatz, spinning the man around so that his back was now facing Mauk's face.

"Hey!" Kreatz cried, alarmed. "What are you doing, Mauk?"

"Bringing the explosives to us, Kreatz," Mauk replied as he started to rummage through Kreatz's backpack. Rudely forcing his way through the zipper, he quickly pried out a small tablet, the surface one entire plate of black glass. With a few taps on the touch screen, a tiny logo became illuminated and dissolved to reveal a complicated looking control screen filled with virtual knobs and counters. One of Mauk's large fingers hovered over a symbol in the corner and gently tapped on the sleek surface, causing a dialogue box to pop up.

/STANDBY MODE DISENGAGED/

"You stowed away a remote control for the ship?" Kreatz muttered in astonishment.

"Yep," Mauk said proudly. "Figured that we would need it in case we found ourselves a bit…lacking."

"Good call," Kreatz whispered as he watched Mauk engage the remote startup sequence.

Ten kilometers away, in a small valley, the swooping white shape of the Federation attack craft began to vibrate in the silence desert, a small whooshing coming from the engines as they activated with a whining noise. Dust gently flitted off of it and a flock of birds took flight in panic at the noise.

Mauk was tapping dutifully at the tablet, quickly checking on systems that he deemed necessary while Kreatz struggled to keep up. Mauk quickly activated the electromagnetic charge jamming pod followed by the infrared seeker with only a few careful clicks. Next, the ion cannon was soon unlocked and the chaff dispenser was set to 'auto.' On the tablet, a green diagram denoting the status of the ship was beaming brightly in the lower right corner, showcasing each and every piece of hardware being switched on it at the moment.

"Missile pods activated," Mauk was saying to himself. "Surface-to-air enabled, and stabilization legs extended." Double-checking to see that those were all the adjustments he wanted to make, he pressed the 'execute' button and the diagram on the screen quickly morphed into an unrecognizable shape.

Sections of the hull of the attack craft split away like a jigsaw puzzle, revealing a mechanized skeleton underneath the sleek folds. Four separate panels split away from the sides of the craft to reveal the ship's countermeasures. Eight long stalks quickly sprouted from the undercarriage and planted themselves into the dry ground, burrowing themselves deep to give the craft stability. And near the rear, a square panel rotated in place to reveal a missile battery, filled to the brim with weapons that had a ten thousand kilometer range thanks to the compressed hydrogen fuel embedded in the tanks. The missiles themselves used seismic pulses to damage enemy craft and establishments to cause catastrophic damage to the targets. Even if they missed, they were still deadly.

"Whatever you're going to do," Kreatz said as he glanced back into the chamber worryingly, "you'd better do it fast!"

"The ship's ready to fire," Mauk confirmed, sweat beginning to trickle down the back of his neck. "All I have to do is select a target."

"Just set the focus on any large heat signatures within the area," Kreatz offered. "We're so far underground that we won't be harmed from any of the detonations. Besides, that might destabilize any Pirate forces in the area which would give us a window of opportunity."

"Which is much more preferable than a head on fight in this case," Mauk said as he determinedly pushed his finger down on the table, directly onto a large green button. On the screen, a cluster of dots sat in a small radius around the target area and they quickly winked red as the ship read the tightbeam transmission and indicated its objectives. Solid locks and ready to fire.

/MISSILES AWAY/

Mauk read the text box with a small degree of satisfaction and quietly waited for the ten yellow streaks on the screen to reach their destination, his ears already primed for any new noise, his body tensed in preparation for an upcoming vibration.

* * *

"I thought you said you were going to get on with it," Gray Voice scowled.

"And I did," Ridley said. "But grant me this one moment so that I can relish it to the fullest, would you? You can all be so pompous sometimes that it makes me sick. Some semblance of domination will do wonders for my attitude."

Without waiting for him to answer, Ridley ever so slightly increased the pressure on Platinum Chest's neck, the muscles in his tail hard as rock. The other elders stood by in the corner, unable to do anything, unwilling to watch. Just like Samus at the moment.

"Even now," Ridley breathed as he brought Platinum Chest closer to his face, "at the time of your death, still you refuse to indulge me with your pleas for mercy. You truly are the most miserable species I've ever come across in my life." Still the tail tightened more which caused the anxious Ridley to start grinding his teeth in frustration. "I will tear your final words from your mouth, Chozo. If not you, then your comrades will surely suffer the same fate!" Now the dragon grinned, a raspy laugh emitting from its throat. "After all, when pushed to the very limit, we all let our animal side out. No one can escape their primal instincts. So…where is yours, Chozo? Show me…_show me!_"

"S…S…St-…" Samus stammered breathlessly, her fingers trembling like mad. "P-P-Pl….Plea-…._Please_…"

Platinum Chest only gagged further, a bit of drool dribbling out of the corner of his beak. Ridley was still unsatisfied. "Are you so proud that you are able to face your own death so calmly without demeaning yourself like all of us? Chirp, you damn bird! Chirp! _I want to hear you chirp!_"

"_St-St-Stop_…" Samus whispered with her fading breath at the same time the floor began to shake, drowning out her last pathetic noise. The metal walls began to render, creating a tortured groan as the entire room subtly shook. Dust and bits of debris shook loose from the ceiling, clattering on the cold floor. Ridley stopped his prattling abruptly and released Platinum Chest from the grasp of his tail, leaving the wizened Chozo to cough and splutter after he crumpled to the ground, his body twitching reflexively.

Without warning, one of the cylinders containing a Pirate in the middle of an alteration suddenly sparked as the wires connecting it to the generator were severed. Knocked out of alignment from the vibration, the container suddenly tipped over, shattering the glass and spilling its occupant out into the chamber, surrounded by the green nutrient liquid that had submerged it.

With a sharp intake of breath, Gray Voice lifted his robes to avoid the rapidly spreading puddle. The Pirate did not have the luxury to worry about stained clothing, for its modified body had not been completely adjusted when it had found itself so suddenly deposited back into the cold room. The alien's face was unchanged but spines ridged all along its back, a melding of the two styles. The Pirate's internals were even more of a mess. Something inside of it had not been properly transformed and the stress from being introduced out of the tank prematurely caused something to rupture, and suddenly blood began leaking out of every orifice. The Pirate was melting before their eyes.

Quickly, Ridley stomped over and slammed a foot on the thrashing Pirate's head before it could cause more of a mess. Ridley scraped off the brains from his feet and began to breathe more heavily now that he had other things to worry about. He turned his head and blinked when he saw the next unfortunate sight for today.

The rest of the Pirates in the tanks, eleven in total, had all been shaken loose from the couplings keeping them in place within their cylinders. None of the rest had shattered but now that the necessary tubes keeping all of the aliens alive while the Chozo DNA was being implemented had been dislodged, they too quickly began to expire. Soon, each cylinder which had formerly exhibited a sickly green color was now projecting a murky red as every single Pirate dissolved in the tank, their innards liquefying.

"_What happened?!_" Ridley screamed as he shook his claws angrily in the air. "Who caused this?!"

Panicked, Ridley hurried over to the large vats in the corner, but he sighed in relief when he saw that none of the Metroids had been damaged. "Gray Voice! Mother! What is the meaning of this?!"

"Standby," Mother said quickly, her monitor quickly floating near the ceiling to distance itself from Ridley's rage.

Ridley was still too impatient to wait. He flicked his jaw to the side, activating the transmitter embedded in his skull. "All units, I want a sitrep. _Now_ would be a perfect time!"

"_W-We're still trying to figure it out, milord!_" a Pirate cut in hastily. "_We've got several units reporting several explosions within the area. We do not know the exact cause but it…it seems like sabotage, milord!_"

"_Sabotage?_" Ridley muttered as he cut the connection, walking back over to Gray Voice. "But…who could…?" As he spoke to himself, a thought suddenly occurred to him; an idea so simple it initially seemed ludicrous. But, now the idea had been planted and there was no way to remove it fully. Growling like a predator on the hunt, his attention turned over to Samus, who was now conscious, he realized, but was still so struck with fear that she did not have the capability to focus on anything, or anyone. Regardless, Ridley stalked forward, seeing red, his hands outreached to grab at Samus once more, with the intent to grind her bones into dust, but Gray Voice saw the maneuver and hurriedly stepped between the dragon and the human, a steely glare in the Chozo's eyes.

"Quit protecting your pet!" Ridley snarled.

"You are quick to shift the blame, aren't you?" Gray Voice said. "I'm only trying to ensure that you will not renege on your promise to harm Samus further. People can be quite unpredictable when they're flustered, Ridley."

"_Fl-Flustered?!_" Ridley gaped. No one had dared to call him that before. He pointed a shaking claw at Samus. "She…she knows what happened! The human probably has allies here and they set the explosions while we were all cooped up in this very room! _Ask her!_ Ask her where her friends are hidden, Gray Voice!"

"My point exactly," Gray Voice gave a smug smile. "You have no idea how Samus operates, Ridley, so let me explain why such an occurrence is highly unlikely. She has lived on this planet for years and had ample time to adjust to the harsh environment. It wouldn't make any sense for her to string along others who are unused to this sort of climate. They would only hold her back."

"Still, the possibility of-"

"Furthermore," the Chozo continued loudly, "if you had bothered to even skim Mother's data on Samus, you would know that Samus has had a tendency to lean towards a nature of a sociopathic sort. Also, she is incredibly self-reliant, which strains belief that she would have brought along backup at all. She definitely would have been arrogant enough to think that she could have taken on an invasion force by herself because we instilled that notion within her. The detonations, on the other hand, were probably a well-planned contingency by her to create pandemonium in order for her to create a successful escape."

Ridley began to formulate a reply, but Gray Voice had already moved on to other matters, now ignoring the giant Space Pirate leader. The Chozo looked over and saw that Platinum Chest was being helped to his feet by two other elders, carefully bringing the elderly man up on severely shaking knees. Gray Voice pointed to the weakened Chozo. "Platinum Chest," his voice boomed, "I believe that you and the other elders are needed to fix the body adaptation machines in the room. As this is something the Space Pirates are unable to repair on their own, you are the only ones capable of performing such a service. Your safety will be guaranteed until this final task is finished." Shooing them away with a hand, the elders slowly began to trudge over to where Gray Voice was pointing, not making any sounds of protest at all.

Ridley lowered himself down, wings raised up in alarm. "What are you-"

"All sectors," Gray Voice said over the comm, not paying Ridley any attention, "this is Gray Voice. There have been several eruptions that have caused damage to the Crateria and Brinstar areas. All units divert to those sectors immediately and report any damage sustained." Knowing that his words were being broadcast through the expansive halls and caverns of the Chozo city, Gray Voice took a breath before he continued. "Also, we must prepare for an imminent counterattack by the Federation! After the damage has been suppressed and isolated, everyone should report to their battle stations on the surface."

As he spoke, crowds of Pirates fluttered through the corridors, pushing their way through to make their way out into the light of the sun, the heat already beginning to bake them. They carried out heavy turrets, jumped into pre-prepared foxholes, and powered up their short-range fighters. The entire area was now securely in alert mode.

"Be alert!" Gray Voice warned. "If you are unable to detect anything on long-range sensors, switch to bistatic or VHF to ping the ships quickly. That will penetrate their stealth camouflage quite well. Also, all electronic countermeasures and support measures have the authority to utilize all the equipment at their disposal. Visual confirmation is key; when you see a bogey, you report it at once! That will be all, Gray Voice out."

As soon as he finished, Gray Voice turned around to find a very miffed Ridley glaring at him from afar. With a rasping cough, Ridley twitched his fingers for a few seconds before he spoke. "You know…it's usually _my_ prerogative to mandate the directions of the troops, Gray Voice. Not yours."

"I was unaware that I had overstepped my bounds," Gray Voice snorted, shooting Ridley an annoyed glance. "You made me a commander of the Space Pirates and I have commanded them. I have merely done the bare essentials of my duty as dictated by you. Is there going to be a problem with this arrangement or do you want to tell me something that I'm currently not privy to? If I am mistaken, then I will gladly take my services elsewhere."

It was hard to tell what Ridley was precisely feeling at the moment, for the creature did not so much as twitch a single strand of muscle. Gray Voice stared patiently at Ridley, fighting in a battle of wills between the two, daring him to say something that would attempt to weaken his position, goading him into making a mistake that could put him out of favor.

However, Ridley wisely dipped his head in a tense acknowledgement, his eyes never leaving Gray's. "No…" he murmured. "You are correct. You have done well, Gray Voice."

"Thank you," the Chozo said without any pride in his words. "But I must confess that while I may have the ability to direct our forces, my abilities on the front lines are as of yet untested. That matter I will gladly defer to someone like you, Ridley, as your expertise in the area of combat is unrivaled compared to mine."

Ridley swept his wings upward in a grand gesture, his stance still cautious as he picked apart Gray Voice's statement for any inkling of a hidden insult, wary at the spontaneous nature of the compliment from the usually reserved Chozo. Shaking the matter off quickly, he rose up on his hind legs and prepared to lift off. "Very well," he growled. "Then I shall send you a report of the situation as soon as I arrive at my destination."

"Thank you, Ridley."

Ridley quietly chuckled and, with three huge strokes of his wings, rose up into the air. "The facility is yours…_'Commander Gray Voice,_'" he hissed, embedding a slight tinge of sarcasm into the statement. Quickly traversing upward, Ridley flew up toward one of the upper access vents and shot his large body through it. The dragon did not muffle the sounds he made through the corridor as he banged on every single wall, clomping his way towards the exit.

Satisfied that Ridley had finally departed, Gray Voice aimlessly brushed his robes, flicking imaginary pieces of dust off of them. With finality, he looked over the elders milling about in the corner and nodded to himself as he turned towards the door in preparation to leave. Samus was sitting up by now, her back propped up against the wall, but her gaze was still directed downward. It was possible that she had no spatial awareness anymore, much less any perception of time.

Watching the human shiver, Gray Voice could only shake his head. "Do you believe this is what your parents would have wanted from you, Samus?" he quietly spoke down to her. "Is this how you showcase your respect to them? To me? By falling into this state?"

Samus did not speak and Gray Voice turned his back on her, disgusted. "You're a disappointment to us all, Samus. Ridley was right, you _are_ pathetic."

Without a second glance, the Chozo walked straight through the door; Mother's monitor dutifully following right behind. For a good minute, the only sounds heard in the chamber were the soft clinking of tools made from the Chozo silently repairing their technology. Samus sat still, frozen in place, as everything else occurred all around her.

The four pirates guarding the Chozo resumed their patrols, curiously eying their captives. They clacked their claws impatiently, keeping their attention from dipping to below the point of not caring. Some of them looked at Samus in an expecting manner, as if they anticipated her springing to her feet to try and initiate some kind of assault. When it became apparent that such a scenario would not occur, the Pirates lost interest and moved on.

One of the Pirates became so bored with the routine that he took a slight deviation, rounding around the main augmentation cylinder on the other side of the room. He took his time as he trudged around the base of the pillar, grumbling to himself and getting so engrossed into his own thoughts that he stumbled over a spare panel because he was not looking where he was going.

Catching himself from falling, the Space Pirate bent down and nudged the panel with his foot. He looked up and saw an empty square in the wall a few stories above his head. With a grunt, he picked the panel up and set it against the wall. He deduced that it must have gotten dislodged when the explosions had rippled through the facility that he did not notice a soft noise behind him until an enormous pair of hands gripped themselves around the Pirate's neck and squeezed so hard that his neck was broken in three places in mere seconds.

Mauk quietly lowered the limp Pirate to the ground, making sure that it was out of sight from the other guards. Keeping his usually deep breath quiet, he crouch-walked around the large cylinder and stealthily made his way toward the crowd of Chozo in the corner. He quickly maneuvered himself behind a stack of crates and waited for another patrol to pass him by. This one also stupidly walked out of his cohorts' line of sight, allowing Mauk to snap the Pirate's neck just as easy as the first one.

By the time Mauk stood back up from cover, he gave a smile as he saw Kreatz move into the shadows, the bodies of the final two guards lying next to each other. Pools of blood were spreading from their slit throats, direct victims of Kreatz's combat knife. Now that the room was clear, it was a simple affair for Mauk to run over and simply tap Platinum Chest on the shoulder, careful not to step in any of the residue that stained the ground.

"Platinum Chest?" Mauk whispered as the hostages turned around incredulously at the noise. "My name's Mauk and my partner over there is Kreatz. We're here to rescue all of you."

To the Chozo's credit, Platinum Chest did not even seem to be surprised in any way. Rather, he simply gave a nod, immediately accepting the newest turn of events in an endless spiral of confusion. Reaching out, he gripped the enormous man's hairy forearm in gratitude. "You have our sincerest thanks, my friend," the Chozo whispered, his voice hoarse. "This is quite unexpected, but a relief all the same."

"Are all of you fit to walk?" Mauk asked, remembering how Platinum Chest had been thrown about so violently before by Ridley.

"Not well," Platinum Chest admitted. "But with you here, I'm confident that we will be just fine."

On the other side of the chamber, Kreatz ran over to help pick Samus up. "Come on, Samus," he grunted as he threw one of her arms over his shoulders. "Let's get you out of here."

He tried pushing off on his feet but quickly found that Samus was deadweight. Kreatz's knees buckled and he quickly collapsed to the ground, Samus slowly sinking back down.

"Samus, get up!" Kreatz urged. "We need to move now before more guards come back!"

"_Kill…me…_" came a throaty whisper, barely discernable.

Kreatz leaned down in confusion. "What did you say, Samus?"

"K-Kill…me…."

Now Kreatz was starting to get more alarmed, his pulse beating faster and faster. He looked at the human who he had worked with for months and still did not believe the words that were coming out of her mouth. What had gone on down there? "Samus…"

"_KILL ME!_" Samus suddenly screamed, her face tilting upward for the first time. Her eyes scrambled around in her sockets, her face was coated with sweat, and her hair swung every which way. Kreatz instinctively backed up, his expression one of complete astonishment. Mauk tried to call out to his friend but was only drowned out by Samus' horrendous cries.

"_KILL ME! KIIIIILL MEEEE! SOMEBODY KILL ME!_"

* * *

_**A/N: Due to life throwing a bunch of stuff my way, there may be a disruption in the current release schedule. Nothing is certain, but just warning you all so no one freaks out and thinks that I have died when I'm a few days late with the posting.**_

_**Also, I'm working on a new idea for Soldier: Legacy at the moment which could be very unique and interesting. It's not necessarily going to affect the story, per se, but more like augment it. More on that in a few weeks as I get everything sorted out over at the homefront.**_

_**Next up: the finale to the second act of the story!**_


	10. Chapter 10: Phoenix I

Lightning flashes, red electricity, and a thudding noise all resounded at once. Samus' world spiraled out of control for her as she thrashed on the floor, shrieking hysterically. Kreatz grunted as he tried to hold her in place but the human was so strong that her uncontrollable spasms were jerking his arms to the point where he had to let go.

"Mauk, help me!" he called to his friend. "Hold Samus down!"

Mauk raced over and grabbed at the human's arms, gently holding them behind her back as she continued to struggle. It was hard to tell what Samus was exactly yelling at, for her eyes were glazed, unfocused, and her head lolled to the side listlessly. Pyonchi squeaked and ran up to Samus, his face immediately looking crestfallen as he saw his friend in such pain.

"Kill me!" she continued to scream. "Kill me now! I can't face him! No one can! He will hunt us like animals, tear us apart with his teeth! We can't run from him, so just kill me before it's too late!"

"Calm down, Samus!" Mauk bellowed in her face, but Samus tilted her head back and proceeded on yelling. The big man vigorously shook Samus' shoulders as a last-ditch effort, but that only bobbed her head back and forth without any results.

Kreatz backed up, for once at a loss for words. Platinum Chest quickly shuffled over to him and gently placed a hand on the side of his arm. "Oh no," the Chozo gasped. "We never wanted this to happen. Not to her…she never deserved this."

Kreatz performed a double-take, first at the wailing Samus and back at Platinum Chest. "Wait, what are you _talking_ about? What the hell happened here with Samus? Why is she like this?"

"It's her past," Platinum Chest explained. "Her memories have come back to haunt her."

"Memories? Memories of what, her family?"

"Yes," the Chozo nodded has he watched the sorry sight. "You most likely know that Samus was only a child when the Space Pirates killed her family on her birth planet. She saw things no child should ever see at her age. At the end of the slaughter, the most grievous blow that day was dealt when Ridley killed Samus' mother right in front of her. She was the last survivor of the attack on that planet and that is why we raised her, because she had no one else to go to."

"Ridley?" Kreatz tilted his head. "You mean that gigantic winged dragon-looking thing?"

"Ridley is a Space Pirate that inhabits the highest genetic rung of his species. He is a creature predestined to lead due to his biology. He instigated the attack on K-2L, Samus' colony. And his presence here most likely caused Samus to have a flashback, causing her to slip into this catatonic state."

Kreatz looked back over at Mauk, who had wrapped Samus in a gigantic bear hug by now, his large arms firmly hooked around the human's chest as he struggled to quell her violent thrashes. Samus was still begging for death, her mouth open as she howled for it all to end, her voice starting to become hoarse as her vocal cords became strained.

"Even now…after she's been fighting the Space Pirates for so long? All because of Ridley?"

"Most likely Samus had no idea this eventuality would occur and was thus unprepared for it," Platinum Chest sighed sadly. "Repressed fear has a tendency to grow inside a person with time. Depending on the type of trauma, this fear can be subconsciously noticed or altogether ignored. But it seems that Samus' final moments of her mother's death were too intense for her to overcome."

"Well, is she able to snap out of it?" Kreatz urged, watching Mauk now start to form a sweat in restraining Samus.

"She will be able to," the old Chozo said sagely. "But there's no telling how long that will take. Samus will have to find her way back to us in order to quell her fear fully."

"And how will she able to do that?"

* * *

_The fire sprung up all around her, crackling as it blew toward her body. She threw up her hands and uttered a tiny shriek as the heat washed over her, causing her palms to feel blistered. She stumbled away from the blaze and blinked as she felt something lapping at her feet. It felt wet, like water._

_She looked down at the ankle-deep liquid and tried to penetrate the dark surface as it obscured her feet, which she could see were bare for some reason. She lifted her foot up and found to her horror that it was colored red, staining her skin as it dripped off of her._

_She then discovered that she was standing in a lake of blood._

_The smell of iron now began to assault her nose, causing her to cover her face as the putrid stink wafted over to her. She stumbled through the deep pool of blood, avoiding the flames inexplicably hovering an inch over the liquid._

_Abruptly, the inferno parted evenly, revealing a corridor through the lake, untouched by the licking strands of flame. Her breath sucked away from the heat, she panted as she headed in that direction, the only direction she could travel. She coughed, feeling faint, and rubbed at her stinging eyes._

_Through the sheets of the blaze, she could see shadowy shapes parked beyond the border. They crouched down, angrily hissing, and she could see them clack their claws behind the protective glare, intent on hostile action._

_She raised her hand to ward off these demons but was astonished to find that her arm cannon was missing, as was her Power Suit. She groped at herself in panic, quickly finding that she was only wearing a light tunic instead of the protective covering she had come to rely on for so long._

_But something seemed off. This was different from what she was used to. The shadows were tall, much taller than her and a deep resounding fear panged through her. She opened her mouth to speak but was shocked when a tiny voice only mumbled a string of words unintelligibly. That was not her voice, at least it was not anymore. In that moment, Samus realized that the entire world around her had not gotten bigger; she had gotten smaller._

_Trapped in her three-year old body, she pushed on through the blood, her white pants permanently stained red. It looked like she had wandered through a slaughterhouse, for she was so bloody that she could no longer smell the foul liquid on her anymore. She brushed at her short hair nervously, untangling a knot as she stood in the center of the lake, stranded._

_A high-pitched roar caused her to jump in fright. A tall pillar quickly erupted from the pool in front of her and a large winged figure quickly touched down upon it. The beast's wings rose above the fire victoriously and the spiny head unleashed another triumphant bellow, smoke billowing out from its gut._

_She could not see past the shadow of the inferno, but the outline of Ridley was immediately apparent to her, as were the objects he clutched in both hands. Ridley cackled sadistically as he spotted her small form below, raising his trophies high in victory so that she might have a better view._

"_Step closer, human," Ridley whispered. "Step closer so that you may join your family in the afterlife!"_

_And she finally saw._

_Two humanoid figures for two hands. One male, the other distinctively female. Their heads were both in the grasp of Ridley's claws, in the very clutches of the demon who had brought them to this hell._

"_Papa…" she finally gasped. "Mama…"_

_The words barely escaped her mouth before the dragon squeezed his hands._

_The cracking of the skulls echoed in her head for what seemed like an eternity. She could see the heads of her parents disappear under the brute force of the creature. A pulpy mass squished between the clawed fingers and spurted in every direction. Blood flew and rained down on the ground, merely another contribution to the lake._

_She merely stood and let the drops hit her as she remained frozen in horror. It vaguely reminded her of a warm rain. As the blood dripped down her face, she could only stare ahead, traumatized._

_When the realization hit her, she began to tremble._

* * *

"_NOOO!_" Samus cried as she bucked her hips savagely downward, gradually slipping herself out of Mauk's grasp. Her hands came up to her face and hid herself from the world. "Not…not again! Not them…not my parents!"

"Dammit, Samus!" Mauk roared, his patience exhausted. "Calm down! Just relax! No one's going to hurt you here!"

"Take me instead, you monster!" Samus lingered in speaking to her personal devils. "Not them! Take me…_TAKE ME!"_

Kreatz was about to shout his own words of exasperation at Samus but his sensitive ears quickly picked up a noise at his six. He turned around and his eyes widened as he saw a squad of Pirates hustle out, their claws already bared in preparation for battle.

"Mauk!" Kreatz warned as he dove behind an augmentation tank. The laser bolts from the Pirates melted holes in the glass above his head, shearing through tank after tank. The Chozo elders scurried for cover but Mauk continued to struggle with Samus out in the open.

Kreatz had his submachine guns out by now and was already peppering the Pirates with return fire. An alien fell to the ground, riddled with holes in his carapace. Another Pirate was too slow on the uptake and a bullet took its jaw off, leaving him to scramble around on the floor, its face dripping blood.

"We can't stay here, Mauk!" Kreatz screamed to his friend, continuing to fire even as more Pirate troops poured through the door. "We need to get the hell out of here now!"

"Samus can't be moved in this condition!" Mauk shouted back. "She's too messed up for me to string her along!"

He was about to say more but one of Samus' flailing elbows firmly caught Mauk in the gut, driving itself in hard. Mauk had not been expecting the blow and he doubled over, wheezing. Samus then shrugged out of the large man's grip and staggered over through the augmentation farm, not even noticing the beams whizzing by her head. Her shoulder impacted painfully on one of the tanks and Samus staggered, sinking down to the ground, her head positioned straight down, and her arms atop her head. In the middle of the chaotic room, Samus curled inward and shut everything else out.

Mauk had recovered by this time but elected not to pursue the human after he saw that she had gone to cover. Noting the now increased influx of Pirate forces, he quickly unslung his shotgun and fired a rocketing blast, shearing the leg off of a trooper and planting him straight on his back. Carefully avoiding the returning fire, Mauk ducked and fired intermittently as he proceeded towards the door, joining up with Kreatz as he helped draw the line between the two opposing sides.

Fingers clenched on their triggers, both men began yelling in rage, filling the air with noise not inhabited by the blasts of their guns, drowning out the screams of the dead and the dying.

As the room reverberated with war, the Chozo began congregating towards the cowed Samus.

* * *

"_Samus."_

_She lifted her head up, finding that the lake of blood had dried up, the fires extinguished. The voice had been uttered so clearly, so peacefully, that it seemed like it had calmed the storm in her mind. The cursed voice of the dragon had disappeared and his shadow eradicated from this place._

_She lifted herself up slightly, finding that she was back in her regular body. The blood had been washed off her clothes and she gasped gratefully as she ran a hand along her untarnished face. Leaning forward, her hands met cold stone and she lifted her head slowly, not stressing her neck any._

_Before her stood all of the Chozo elders, each one approaching slowly. They spread their hands in a gesture of peace, a silent request to continue proceeding forth. Her lower lip quivered, her mind in a total lock. She did not know what to say and was unable to speak. Very gradually, she waited for her guardians to surround her._

_The closest Chozo to her, Platinum Chest, slowly bent down so that her head was at the same height as him. The Chozo did not smile, but instead raised a hand, gently placing it upon the top of her head. She flinched at the touch, expecting pain, but eventually calmed down as the long fingers brushed her gently, grooming her._

"_Samus," Platinum Chest whispered again. "My dear. Our child. Our light. It pains us to see you frightened so."_

_The hand firmly wrapped around her windpipe was lessening and she was finding it easier to breathe at the Chozo's words. She still rasped painfully, but the calming voice and the soothing touch was slowly alleviating the pain. Her eyes pled to Platinum Chest, eager for more._

"_Oh, Samus, you must be in such pain. To relive something truly horrific like that, it would take even the best of us. We are sorry, so sorry that you had to go through this, our poor child. We know, Samus. We know your pain. We never wanted this for you. This is not meant to be your fate."_

_She slowly led her hands forward so that she was now on all fours. Her hair hung down in clumps, shaking as her head twitched faintly. She leaned into Platinum Chest's hand, wanting his gentle touch upon her more, needing it to exist instead of a blow, a smack, or a punch. She needed his guiding hand._

"_We could not ask any more from you, Samus. We imposed such a burden upon you, a burden that would have broken any other mortal. But you, Samus, you have truly and earnestly exceeded our expectations. We can feel you hurting, child. We know how tired you are. You do not need to be fighting forever, Samus. Just clear your thoughts and let it all go."_

_Other hands began placing themselves on her head, her shoulders, her arms. Suddenly, all of the weight in the galaxy felt like it was projected on her neck, causing her to sink down lower. The elders surrounded her, murmuring their praises, and wrapped her in a warm blanket. She could sense the heat rising from her core, blossoming into a flower. A well buried deep within began to spring loose and a giant sensation felt like it was traveling upward towards her head._

"_You've done all that we've asked for, child. We are here for you. We will always be here for you. You have no reason to be afraid any more, Samus. Do not hold it in any longer. Strike it from your heart, draw it out from your body."_

_Now, Platinum Chest removed his hand from her head and placed it upon her own hand. Gently patting her, the old Chozo finally gave a smile, one out of tenderness and love. She could feel her eyes start to water, a building rush forming from behind them. Any moment now the dam would burst and she would be left in tatters. She tried hard not to let it go, she clung to it, but it began to slip out of her grasp._

"_Do not worry any longer, Samus. You can let it go. You may cry if you feel hurt. But do not despair. We…have always been proud of you…Samus. Now, come back to us, child. Come back to your family. We have missed you so."_

_She could not hold it back any longer. Her breathing was erratic, noticeably trembling. As soon as the first tear impacted on her cheek did she realize that it was too late to do anything about it. With a deep breath, she lowered her head and screamed out one final note of anguish. _

_She cried so loudly she thought she could split the sky in two, the noise surrounding her, coddling her. The howl soon dissolved into blind weeping and the tears finally flowed in earnest as she began to bawl helplessly. Her cheeks quickly became damp as she sobbed, her whole body shaking as she cried. The sensation of the tears on her lips gave way to a salty taste, and for a brief, blessed moment, she wondered just where she was._

_Still she continued to cry, lost to the will of her unleashed emotions. She cried for her dead parents. She cried for her lost childhood. She cried for being so loved. It felt good to cry._

_Now that the stark expanse seemed foreign to her, she looked through her dry sobs and willed her legs to move. Everything that she had learned, her training on Zebes, her experience in the Federation, told her to stand up. Tortured muscles aching, tears still dripping, cries still sounding, she called into being the very notion to move her limbs a fraction of an inch._

In that instant, the world opened up to Samus.

* * *

Smoke poured into the air, the heat shimmering in the glare of the sun. Ridley beat his wings quickly and shot through the overhanging shroud, creating small whirlpools of particulates in his wake. Frustrated, he scanned downward and grimaced at the level of destruction that had been caused to the facility, his mood souring more and more.

Fires had erupted in several different places from the detonations that had occured and the each site's damage had not been properly contained yet. Ridley could see several Pirates scramble to extinguish the blazes, but would later find out that all of their efforts would be for naught. The damage was just too severe.

His comm was so abuzz with noise that Ridley was almost considering shutting it off for the noise was annoying him so much. Frantic Pirates pleaded for instructions, for directions, but there were so many voices and all of them were panicked that Ridley had no hope of addressing each and every woe one at a time. Choosing to grit his teeth instead, he let the chatter go on, waiting for a lull in the endless noise so that he could finally command.

As he circled above the carnage, the news that Ridley received just became worse and worse as time went on. Apparently a pipeline in the Norfair sector had been breached by the seismic shockwaves and had been leaking flammable gas into the area and now several Pirates had pulled themselves off the front lines to run fire extinguishing duties. To make matters worse, the heavy traffic of the comms was overloading the entire system, causing interference to make the entire thing run at the brink of shutdown.

Ridley was about to bark into the comm in an attempt to override the squabbling in order to direct troops to fix the pipeline when a distant boom cut him off. Ridley glanced up as he soared through the lower atmosphere, sighing darkly as a new tower of smoke erupted out of the side of a nearby mountain. The shockwave quickly caught up to him, buffeting him around in the air but a few flaps of his wings corrected his orientation, adjusting his approach.

"Somebody give me a report on that last detonation," he growled into the now silent comm, now finding the quiet rather worrying.

Static was heard first for a split second and then a coughing voice scratched through the interference. "_L-Lord Ridley!_" the Pirate gagged. "_That explosion came from Norfair! It…it was the gas, sir. It reached the flames and…and…_"

"And it reacted rather harshly," Ridley grumbled, finishing the sentence. "Disregard Norfair, then. That sector is lost for all I care. Return to your posts and await further instructions." Without waiting for a reply, Ridley clacked his jaw and his communicator abruptly switched frequencies. "Recon party, have you located the source of the detonations?" Nothing but silence. "Recon team, report!"

Still there was silence on the line. So, that meant that there was currently no evidence that the human had brought along friends or that the patrol was all dead. Ridley did not know if the interference this time was brought along by the company's demise or the faulty communications. He wondered how a creature so small could do so much damage by herself. Running through all the frequencies, it was the same story for every unit. Pandemonium and chaos were running rampant amongst the troops, finding themselves saddled with duties that were unable to be performed. Everything was falling apart.

Something had to be done and Ridley knew the solution, but every instinct in his body told him not to defer his share of the leadership. Not at a critical time like this.

But there was no other choice. The troops needed to get in line and he was not going to be able to do that with just a wonky communicator. Knowing he might regret this decision very much, he flicked his jaw to the right and activated a private channel, one that was only shared with two others.

"Gray Voice…" Ridley called, his voice catching slightly in rage. "The troops are in disarray. I need you to allocate time towards rallying them to get outside and help with the damage this facility has sustained. Do you copy?"

Ridley shut his eyes, expecting the Chozo to respond smugly, or even worse, to have a completely neutral tone. But nothing came and Ridley's heart began to beat a little bit slower. Had that damnable Chozo not heard him? "Gray Voice, are you there?"

"_I apologize, Ridley_," Mother's smooth voice now broke in, startling him. "_Gray Voice's transmitter seems to be deactivated at the moment_."

"Why the hell did he do _that?_" Ridley asked, dumbstruck.

"_I can only speculate that he was assured by your confidence that you were able to maintain control of the situation that he thought that such requests for assistance were a statistical impossibility_."

Ridley snorted. In a way, the condescending tone of the AI was way worse than what the extent of Gray Voice's reaction would have been. "Well, apparently it wasn't!" he roared, not caring that he just spouted his incompetence for all to hear. "Just find that bastard and put him to work! Quickly, before another surprise springs up on us!"

"_At once_," Mother acknowledged before she cut the transmission.

Ridley bent his wings back and plummeted toward the ground, spiraling so fast that his eyes hurt from the wind. At the very last moment, he spread his membranes out wide and caught the air which snapped him back it almost strained his joints. Searching for at least a contingent to order around, Ridley was preparing to descend even further when he received an urgent request on the local band.

"_Err…Lord Ridley…_" the hapless Pirate stammered. "_There's some news that you might find…troubling_."

"Spit it out!" Ridley screeched into his communicator. "I doubt it could be worse than the travesties that have been vexing us for the last fifteen minutes. What is it?!"

"_Um…_" the Pirate's voice sounded like he was going to be executed across the radio feed, despite him being safely away from his leader's wrath. "_The prisoners_…"

"What about them?"

"_They've all escaped_."

Ridley wheeled about in midair, his jaw agape as the smoke spread all around him. Speechless for a silent, somber moment, Ridley could only widen his eyes.

"WHAT!?"

* * *

The narrow canyon did not allow for much room to maneuver about, but that was more a problem for the forces opposing the natives at the moment. Kreatz and Mauk had taken cover behind a pair of boulders while the elders and Samus kept their distance around the corner, closer to the hatch they walked out of. The two were hosing down the Pirates stupid enough to try and force their way through the canyon with their guns, providing perfect cover fire whenever one of them needed to reload.

Kreatz set his submachine gun on the rock in front of him and squeezed the trigger, only needing to force the gun firmly down onto the boulder in order to not let the recoil affect his aim. Space Pirates fell as the bullets shredded their torsos and soon two dozen bodies lay before them, sprawled out in the open.

"I'll scout ahead," Kreatz said to Mauk as he slipped on a pair of protective goggles. "You provide cover for the others."

"Got it," his friend grinned. "Go."

Kreatz stood up and nimbly hopped up onto the adjacent ledge, crouching along the lip. Mauk watched him depart and craned his neck behind him as soon as Kreatz was out of sight.

"All clear!" he shot back. "Move up!"

"Come, my child," Platinum Chest gestured to Samus, who was now able to stand. She dimly nodded and dutifully followed the Chozo's guiding hand as they brought up the rear. Her eyes were still raw, red from crying for such a long time. Platinum Chest glanced over and quickly dabbed at the corner of her eye, mopping up a tear that had been threatening to spill. "There, there," he soothed. "It won't be much longer now. Just a short walk to go."

Even above the whistling wind in the gorge, Platinum Chest heard a faint, "_Thank you_."

Meanwhile, Kreatz shuffled along the edge of the canyon, carefully eying the floor a story below him until he heard someone talking to his immediate left. He plastered his body to the wall and cautiously peeked out, in case this particular person was looking in his direction.

Fortunately, they were not, as the Space Pirate was too busy hunched over a communications console to even notice the din approaching this way. More than likely he did not even know how close he was to getting his call cut short.

"That's affirmative!" the Pirate was nearly screaming into his transmitter. "We have a visual on the ground, my lord! The Federation woman _did_ bring backup! They're here in force and their last reported direction of travel seems to be placing them at the port. We have no accurate head count as of yet, but I'll get back to you within ten-"

A cough emitted from Kreatz's silenced weapon and the bullet caught the Pirate in the neck. The alien immediately dropped his transmitter and wheezed as blood began to pour out of the opening, gushing in time to his breathing. Kreatz shot out of cover and put another round in the back of the Pirate's head, quashing its feeble gurgles. Sensing an opportunity, he grinned and reached for the transmitter, already hearing the extremely annoyed individual rage on the other side.

"_Well?_" the voice roared. "_Ten _what_, you idiot?! Do I need to get over to your position and perform your job myself? Answer, damn you!_"

Kreatz began panting into the transmitter, simulating exhaustion. "We…uhh…" he mumbled into the small port, his voice rough and slightly deeper as he attempted to mimic the vocal style of a Space Pirate. "I…I have an accurate head count, my lord…lord…" he struggled to remember the individual's name. "Ridley! Yes, my lord Ridley! The aggressors appear to be a…a fully equipped task force. About twenty to thirty well-armed soldiers and they're all headed for the caves!"

The person on the other end paused a beat. "_Is this the same individual I was speaking to just moments ago?_"

Kreatz nodded in appreciation. The dragon was not as dumb as he looked. "Ah…affirmative, my lord. I was just a little shaken…is all. They've destroyed everything in the area and they're pursuing me at the moment. We're all evacuating back to the ships and-"

"_NO ONE GAVE YOU THE ORDER TO EVACUATE!_" Ridley screamed so loudly Kreatz thought the transmitter might shatter from the sheer volume. "_Only I get to make that decision! I demand to know your horde and individual number right now so that you can save me the trouble of having to skin your worthless hide in front of your peers!_"

"Oh…uh…" Kreatz balked. "I…I forgot. Sorry about that, sir."

"'_MY LORD!_'" Ridley corrected forcefully. "_Are you deliberately trying to evade your execution?_ _Who do you think you are, soldier?!_"

"Just a guy who seems to enjoy being in trouble a lot," Kreatz chuckled, now dropping the charade. "By the way, I'd steer clear of the enemy force if I was you. They've got a badass on their side and her name is Samus Aran."

"_A…a WHAT?! WHO-"_

"Well, _that_ certainly was an enlightening conversation," Kreatz muttered to himself as he smashed the transmitter on the ground, crunching its components into the dirt. He looked down and spotted Mauk below him, leading the group of elders out of the canyon. Kreatz hopped over a small ledge and threw all of his weight behind him as he traversed the steep slope back down to the ground level. Pebbles crumbled around his feet as he traveled, kicking up clouds of dust.

"Anything up there?" Mauk called out as Kreatz traveled towards him.

"Just a loudmouth that tried to give away our position," Kreatz said with a shrug. "I think I might have subverted any efforts to contain us, but I can't be sure. That dragon certainly knows that we've escaped by now."

"You didn't taunt him, did you?"

"I might have. Why?"

"You're completely impossible, do you know that?"

"I've been told that from time to time," Kreatz said sheepishly. "I just couldn't resist this one-"

Kreatz broke off as a shadow flickered across his face for a split second. He looked up at the tip of the canyon wall where a figure had just momentarily broken the sun as it moved along the edge. With a well-placed propulsion, a singular Space Pirate sailed through the air and landed directly behind the group, its claws already splayed out in preparation to fire.

Both Mauk and Kreatz tracked the enemy with their guns, both horrified that the Pirate had gotten the drop on them. The elders too turned at the sound of the footsteps behind them, too slowly to react properly. Still within the canyon, there was nowhere for them to go as the Pirate readied its lasers at point-blank range.

Mauk and Kreatz had not chance of firing, not with the crowd of Chozo standing between them and the Pirate. Mauk tried to get his shotgun above the heads of the elders but the angle was too shallow to make out the Space Pirate properly. All he could see was the claws of the alien begin to wisp as it prepared to eject its natural plasma, the horrified gasps of the Chozo as they realized what was going to happen, and the long, blond hair of Samus as she obliviously kept her back to the Pirate, too vulnerable to even react properly.

"_NO!_" Mauk roared, as if that would stop the Pirate from attacking. He was about to push his way through the Chozo and dive upon the Pirate when a distinct blast rocketed through the canyon. He froze in mid-stride in horror, anticipating seeing his friend lying on the ground in a pool of her own blood. He could not see Samus beyond the sea of robes and he called out, "S-Samus?"

Almost reverently, the Chozo parted to let him through and Mauk blinked as, instead of seeing Samus dead on the ground, he saw the exact opposite. The Space Pirate was lying on the ground having been blown completely in half, the smell of charred flesh coming to him from the cauterized wounds. The two halves of the alien twitched as its brain tried to comprehend what had just happened, as if it was unwilling to accept that this is what its destiny amounted to.

Now looking more in front of him as he comprehended the sight of the dead aggressor, Mauk finally saw her.

"Oh, _wow_," he heard Kreatz behind him whisper in awe.

Where a helpless human had been standing mere moments before, a crouching warrior had taken her place. Enveloped once again in the red and yellow embrace of the Power Suit, Samus ground her feet into the dirt and did not move her arm cannon, which was still pointing at the dead Space Pirate, having fired milliseconds before the alien did. Gentle waves of heat floated into the air from the muzzle and all sound seemed to be muted as the towering soldier slowly got out of her crouch, the armor making heavy noises as it stomped on the ground.

Behind the electric blue visor, Samus' eyes sparked in determination. "My duty is to protect my family," she said clearly as she stood menacingly. "I am a Protector, and I _must_ protect the people I care about."

* * *

_**A/N: Now we've gotten into some of the really dark territory and there's plenty more yet to come. Heh...heh...you'll see.**_

_**LawrenceSnake: Well, I did leave that extra "L" in there...because the word 'Kill' requires two 'L's to be a proper word (can't really have it as "Kil," now can I?)**_


	11. Chapter 11: Phoenix II

Samus nudged the dead Pirate with her boot as she stood triumphantly over its corpse, not necessarily as a confirmation of its demise, but as a way to further emphasize her small victory. She did not even feel bad as she looked into the pained expression of the alien, unconcerned with what its last thoughts must have been as it began to realize that it had just been bisected from her beam. She was a soldier, not a saint.

She heard footsteps behind her, most likely from Kreatz and Mauk, given the relative difference in the sound of their stomping, but she did not turn around. Rather, she eyed the darkening sky worryingly. What had once been a beautiful sunny day was now turning into a dreary cloudy one. Tall stacks of cumulonimbus piled on over the horizon, steadily gaining mass as they steamed in their direction. That was troubling all around.

Wanting more stimuli, Samus focused deeply and quickly felt the dry air on her face as her helmet de-materialized. Still clad in her armor, Samus sighed as the small bit of freedom seemed to swell her, raising her relief so that it was now bubbling at the surface. With her head now uncovered, Samus closed her eyes, sensing the drop in air pressure, the stillness of the wind, and the quiet of the canyon around them, confirming what she already knew.

"Samus…" Kreatz interrupted her thoughts behind her. "Are…are you all right?"

"Never better," Samus said, turning to face her friends with a smile. That apparently was not the sort of response they expected as both of them had on expressions of severe confusion at her glib attitude. "I'm sorry for making you worry, guys. I'm perfectly fine now, thanks for asking."

Mauk and Kreatz shared a look. "Did you just hear what she said to us?" Mauk muttered out loud, well within Samus' earshot.

"Yeah," Kreatz breathed back in mock apprehension. "She said 'sorry' and actually _smiled _at us. I'm not sure she's fine at all, actually. She's now acting…_normal_."

"Oh, pipe down, you two," Samus said with an exasperated laugh. "I'm _fine_, you guys. You can stop worrying about me now or I'll knock your skulls together. Besides, I couldn't stay away from blasting Space Pirates for long, now could I?"

"That sounds more like it," Mauk grinned and he placed an enormous hand on Samus' shoulder. "It's good to have you back."

Pyonchi also chittered happily and hopped up onto Samus' back, beginning to nuzzle her neck. Samus grinned and scratched the rabbilis behind the ears, her mood brightening at her tiny friend's presence.

"Thanks, Mauk," Samus dipped her head thoughtfully as she stroked Pyonchi's fur before she looked over at the group of Chozo elders milling about to the side. "And thank you all. If it weren't for you-"

"-If it weren't for _you_," Platinum Chest raised a hand. "We would have all perished by now at Ridley's hands. Your arrival, Samus, has resulted in prolonging the cruel fate that awaits all of us. We cannot thank you enough for that."

_My arrival did nothing but almost get everyone killed_, Samus thought sadly. "You shouldn't place all of the gratitude on me," she offered. "Kreatz and Mauk here helped more than I did. But, if it weren't for the distress signal you sent out, we never would have reached you in time."

"Distress signal?" Platinum Chest tilted his head. "What distress signal?"

Samus balked for a moment. "You mean you don't know who alerted the Federation? We got a message that alerted command that Zebes was in trouble."

"We were captured before we could do anything. There was no time on our end to even send such a rudimentary message for help."

"But if you didn't send the signal," Kreatz interjected, "who did?"

Samus was pondering this fact at the same time until she felt a pulse resonate within her. It felt like a tiny electric shock had coursed through her body, not harmful enough to cause damage, but just enough so that she noticed its presence. While everyone else murmured their suppositions, Samus trailed away from the main group, lifting her gauntlet and found, to her astonishment, that the palm was glowing.

"What is this?" she whispered, looking at the flickering gold surface, wondering exactly what the Power Suit was doing.

_I had faith in you the entire time, Samus_, the voice she heard previously suddenly echoed in her head. She jumped, surreptitiously glancing around to see if anyone around had spoken. These words, however, did not carry the same gravitas through that medium, rather they sounded like they had been uttered within her very _mind_.

"Who are you?" she asked, her eyes searching the heavens for her converser.

_You are certainly your parents' child_, the voice continued, as if it was unable to hear Samus' words. _You have become such a courageous and confident woman that I know they would be proud to see their daughter grown into a woman._

The very mention of her parents caused Samus' hand to come up to her mouth in shock, her ears ringing dully.

_I am glad that I could see you become the person you are now. In the end, I hope you will understand what I had to do and can find it in your heart to forgive me._

"Forgive you?" Samus uttered. "But…but why? Tell me who you are!"

But the voice did not respond back. Samus took a step forward, beginning to breathe more deeply as she struggled to find the meaning of this encounter. She looked at her palm again and found that the glow had stopped emanating. Confused, she waggled her limb but as expected, the illumination did not shine through.

A dry, wrinkled hand gently grasped her forearm. "Samus," Platinum Chest asked earnestly. "Is something the matter?"

"I…I don't know," Samus admitted as she became aware of the strange looks in her direction. "I heard a strange voice, Platinum Chest. I can't describe it exactly…"

"A voice," the Chozo murmured. "Did you recognize it?"

"No, no," Samus sighed. "I wasn't concentrating that hard. It sounded…very familiar. Is this normal for the suit or is it…me?"

Platinum Chest was silent as he tilted his beak upward, basking in the last ray of the sun for a good moment. Murmuring quietly, he eyed Samus with a thoughtful expression. "And…your Power Suit? Did it begin to resonate?"

Samus blinked. "Yeah, actually. How…how did you know that?"

The Chozo only nodded sagely, his face lined with sadness. "This can all be explained in due order, Samus, but we need to find shelter first. You've noticed it too, haven't you? The changing of the weather, the stillness of the air?"

Samus looked up at the gathering clouds, looking into the dark, swirling maelstrom that lay beyond. "I have," she said.

"And you know that your companions, not being suited to this world, will be unable to survive once the acid rain falls on the planet's surface. We can traverse through Brinstar in the meantime; it's the safest way to the docks."

"Hopefully it doesn't last long," Samus grumbled as she checked her chronometer. "We have only a little more than an hour before the Federation fleet arrives to stabilize the system."

"Oh, the Federation sent a task force as well?" Platinum Chest said in surprise. "Interesting."

"Yes, but that doesn't bode well for us. Once they get here, they're going to bombard the surface to make sure that the Space Pirates do not survive."

"As they should," Platinum Chest said as he gestured towards a path marked by shrubs up ahead. "We cannot fault the Federation for simply performing their duty. But in that case, we would do well to get moving, shouldn't we? I'll explain everything as we go along. It's time we let you in on our plan, Samus."

_Plan?_ Samus thought. _What plan?_

Across the expansive desert, the clouds broiled and rumbled, faint arcs of lightning beginning to streak in all directions as the torrent drew ever closer. Spiraling with electricity, the air began to sizzle and the rain began to fall in sheets. Very soon, the precipitation became the only audible sound in the parched wasteland.

* * *

Mother Brain's monitor had moved onto another part of the facility, leaving the biomechanical components behind in the now shattered chamber. Despite the absence of the movable presence, Mother could still sense everything in front of her and throughout the structure, feeling the entire pulse of the planet through her very being.

There was a sense of displeasure at the state of the room she was in. The stone walls were all cracked and piles of boulders now dotted the once clear floor, shaken loose from the ceiling. That was mostly all to Ridley's dramatic entrance but she could not fathom the mind of such a brute that would feel the need to leave carnage everywhere they went. It just seemed extraordinarily wasteful.

It was not like Mother could do anything at the moment regarding the state of the facility; there were many more objectives that required her immediate attention and cosmetic damage was not rated highly on the list.

Sitting high and mighty in her command pillar, the shrouded shape of Mother's true form hovered in the vat of nutrient fluid. Metal spikes rose up from a wrinkled, fleshy mass and various electronics lined the base around the intelligence. Mother considered herself to be beautiful, a true melding of both organic and inorganic qualities. A perfect synthesis of flesh and metal; the most perfect being in the galaxy.

Before her now kneeled a squad of Pirate commandos, trying very hard not to tremble in fear at the sight of the shadowed intelligence. It did not matter, for Mother could detect their elevated heart rates and heightened breathing simply from the brief vibrations that exuded from them into the air upon her invisible feelers. The fear was good, it was an aspect she had lacked for years and was now being fed to the extent of her content, a new emotion from which she could now draw inspiration from. Mother found herself enjoying the new form of attention; what else had she missed while under the miserable guidance of the Chozo? What could more future discoveries about the universe bring? What could she learn more about herself?

Performing the organic equivalent of a shrug, Mother wiped her thoughts clean. It was time to put her mind to work. "The attack has left our battle-net in disarray," she spoke to the commandos. "Communications have been rendered useless and our efforts to subvert the damage have proved unsuccessful. The fugitives have completed only one phase of their diversion by causing all this chaos, but you shall all track them down for me, assuming Ridley is currently pursuing other objectives."

"Yes, Mother," the Pirates said in tandem. "As you command."

"I do not care if you bring them to me alive or dead. My only wish is that you bring me the head of the human, Samus Aran. Use whatever options are at your disp-"

An earth-shattering roar sounded as the right wall of the room suddenly disintegrated. The commandos had no time to react and were barreled over as rocks and flame washed over them. The remains of the bodies rolled to the far wall in charred crisps, smoking after being exposed to the blistering heat.

"Who are you that would dare break in here?!" Mother thundered, the enormous apparatus turning at the source of the noise.

Out from the dust, a tall figure strode through the gateway, moving slowly as it hefted something in its hands. The particulates soon parted to reveal a bronze figure, sheathed in an ancient armor that covered every inch of its body. Spikes jutted out from the shoulders and forearms of the armor and the smooth contours occasionally jutted at inorganic angles. The helmet was polished, separated into sections. A gleaming red oculus sat on the forehead of the helmet and the head of the figure dipped as it lifted the large object in its arms.

At first glance, what this person was carrying looked like an enormous staff. Positioned horizontally, the warrior clutched at it with his arms, revealing the long barrel of the weapon, one that looked like a modified turret to Mother.

The intelligence soon realized exactly where this new figure had originated from. "The lab…" Mother spoke as it sent packets of data into the room, trying to draw responses out of the machinery but finding only silence in return. "The Metroids…they're…"

"They're _dead_," the armored soldier laughed. "I took care of them, just like I'm going to take care of you!"

"Liar!" Mother screamed just as she scrambled to activate the security feeds. Nevertheless, there was a part of her that believed the words of the bronzed person and the resulting images being beamed back to her in cyberspace confirmed that the new arrival had not been fibbing. From what she could see, the lab was now a wreck. Glass lay shattered around the floor, piping vented raw plasma into the air, and the huge vats that had once been chock-full of her own creations were now irreparably damaged, her children having been spilled onto the floor to wither and die horribly.

That would mean that…all of her plans…her future…the Metroids were supposed to accompany her in the new era. Without them it would take a lifetime to achieve the unity that she had been pursuing this whole time. And in mere seconds, this stranger had undone all that and the remnants of her solution now lay in tatters upon the floor.

All of this pondering took place in less than the blink of an eye but the warrior had already acted in that time. Swinging the huge turret around, he pointed it, not at Mother, but at the doorway that granted access to the chamber. Holding down the trigger, the muzzle of the weapon opened up and unleashed a white-hot ball that was only visible for a split second before it washed out the room with light.

The concussion from the blast shook the very foundations of the facility and caused flames to spread up from the affected area after the resounding clap had finished its reverberation. As the smoke died down, it became apparent that the components of the doorway had melted and fused together, rendering any entry impossible. No help could come for Mother now, not even from the hole the aggressor had blasted his way through as a partial collapse of the structure had blocked the road with boulders. It would take way too long for the Pirates could blast their way through, if any of them in the vicinity were still alive. In that instant, Mother felt afraid.

However, after they were finished with the door, the tall figure suddenly staggered and clutched a hand it its chest. From the vocabulator, Mother was able to pick up a sound of pain and ragged breathing coming from the warrior. She sent out more tendrils, requesting information. She did not see this person get hit, so why was it that they were they so pained?

The answer and consequences came to her very unexpectedly as only one solution came to her, seemingly gleaming in midair as every possibility resulted and converged upon this one, singular fact.

"It can't be…" Mother mused as she watched the warrior straighten back up, both hands now back on the turret. "This doesn't make any sense…"

"Oh, I assure you, Mother," the figure gave a dry chuckle as tiny pinpricks of light began to orbit around its head. "It all makes _perfect_ sense."

The light swirled about for a few seconds before it dissipated, taking the helmet with it. When a faceless gladiator had previously stood before Mother, now a fully recognizable person took its place. Red electricity seared throughout the complex, spreading feelings of confusion, of fear, of disbelief.

"_Gray Voice?_" Mother's synthesized words dropped out in shock as the Chozo across from her narrowed his eyes fiercely. "What is the meaning of this? Have you lost your mind?"

The Chozo deliberately shook his head with a scowl. "I am only taking my chance, Mother. Regardless of what you might think, I am in complete control of my wits. The only one who is not in control here is _you!_"

He punctuated the final word with a grunt as the large turret was lifted up again. Without hesitation, Gray Voice pulled the trigger again and a bright red bolt seared through the air and sped directly on course for Mother's apparatus. Spinning like a disk, the beam had almost reached the intelligence before a red barrier filled with static abruptly engaged in front of Mother. The blast upon the Zebetite shield was still powerful enough to render the surrounding area, shaking the entire room forcefully as the detonation erupted with the force of a small bomb.

Gray Voice threw up a hand to protect him from the smoke and grasping fingers of flame. The ancient helmet reappeared upon his head as he drew forth a command from the corner of his mind, keeping him safe from choking to death on the ash that had been jarred loose. By the time the haze dissipated, Mother still sat beyond the barrier, the biomechanical components floating smugly in place.

But that last attack seemed to have taken its toll on Gray Voice. He sunk to his knees, a hand grasping at his stomach as something inside him throbbed horribly. The turret dropped to the ground with a huge clang and the armor creaked as the Chozo coughed and hacked, trembling viciously.

As Mother watched her attacker become preoccupied, she shot a blue bolt of information into one of her databanks. A tiny red light began to blaze on top of her structure as she opened a communications channel, sending out a hand for someone to grasp it.

"Stop this foolishness, Gray Voice," Mother called from behind the Zebetitie barrier. "This little betrayal of yours will not work. You've already lost and you know it."

Gray Voice screamed in pain as his body began to convulse, one of his hands scrambling across the floor to grasp for the fallen turret. Finding purchase, he slowly dragged it toward him and used it as a crutch, steadily allowing himself to rise while placing all his weight on it. Inside the helmet, Gray Voice's pants beat fiercely; his entire face feeling like it was melting. But he made an effort not to fall; he had come too far to see himself give up now.

"You see?" Mother cackled. "It's already happening! Your mental guard is operating perfectly! You said it yourself to Ridley that it is impossible for any Chozo to kill or intending to kill another living being. Your attempts to the contrary are causing you to experience unimaginable pain and suffering, all brought on by your mental disposition. If you persist in this reckless action, you will certainly die. Your little coup will all be meaningless."

"If I take you with me," Gray Voice gasped as he wobbled on shaky legs, "then everything I have ever done will _not_ be meaningless!"

"What do you hope to gain from this, Gray Voice? What is the point in needlessly risking your life?"

"That is simple," Gray Voice growled as he hefted the turret again. "Ridley said to me that I was going to offer him a defective product as a token of our partnership. And he was right, I _was_ offering a defective product. But Ridley asked me to kill the wrong one, you see. And now is the time when I must take matters into my own hands and destroy that product on my own accord!"

The turret belched another ball of energy and it once again exploded against the hazy barrier. But, this time, the Zebetite shield wobbled slightly and static flickered across its surface. Electricity zapped angrily as the generators became strained. Gray Voice grinned as he waited for the weapon to cool down to full charge again, sensing Mother's desperation, but it quickly vanished as another stab from his gut sent him staggering. At the last moment, he thrust out the turret and caught his fall just in time, gagging as the imaginary pain seared through his body. His skin felt irritated, his bones felt inflamed, and his heart felt like it was about to explode. Gray Voice yelled in agony, desperate to drive the uncomfortable sensations away.

_It's all in my mind,_ he though desperately. _It's not real…it's not real…it's not real…_

"You…you dare call _me_ a defective product?!" Mother roared, having not even paid any attention to the last attack. "Me?! Defective?!"

Small explosions rippled across the energy barrier and Gray Voice forced his legs straight, thrusting him back up. "The Space Pirates can have this planet!" he bellowed. "The Chozo's time on Zebes, in this galaxy, is finished! But what they will not have are the Metroids and you! I will see to that personally!"

"A defective product…" Mother muttered to herself, caught up in shock. Her runtimes spiked and her processes frantically searched for a tangible bit of information that would prove the statement to the contrary. "I…I am not a defective product. I…am…_PERFECT!_"

Before Gray Voice could react, several sheets of metal burst out from beneath the rock floor he was standing. The smooth surface arced and curved over him, quickly encasing him in darkness. Trapped in the metal pod, Gray Voice cursed as he banged a fist on the metal, angry at himself for falling so easily into the trap.

"I will not forget that slight anytime soon, Gray Voice!" he heard the intelligence rage through the metal cage. "If your true intent was to deceive me from the start, then you are a bigger fool than I imagined. For the time being, you will be held in here so that you may think about what you could have done differently. Perhaps a few moments of reflection will reveal to you that you have made the wrong decision."

"No…" Gray Voice hissed through his helmet, drawing himself close in the pitch black of the box. "I've already reflected upon my decision and it is just. _You're_ the one who's deluded."

The Chozo flicked a button on the staff portion of the turret and the muzzle snapped away at a ninety degree angle. There was not enough room to fully turn the staff around but the new configuration that had just been applied allowed Gray Voice to easily point the barrel of the turret upward towards the ceiling of the metal cage. Without a second thought, he flicked the trigger and awaited the wash of heat.

Fire spewed upward and rolled in a tidal wave, breaking past the flimsy covering. A column of the destructive force billowed upward, further shrouding the room in smoke. Stepping through the splayed out and melted remains of the box, Gray Voice did not even feel the sheets of fire licking at his armor, despite the fact that his suit was registering the damage. Detonating the weapon at such close proximity had claimed three blocks of energy already. He would need to be more conservative in the future.

"It isn't possible…" Mother said as she watched the Chozo stumble from the flames, still holding himself as his mental anguish ravaged him. "How could you _do_ this?"

"What, are you surprised, Mother?" Gray Voice chuckled as he hoisted the turret in between gasps. "Despite this weapon only being a few centuries old, it is still quite effective for its intended purpose."

"I…I don't understand."

"That's because you don't have any information about this weapon in your database," Gray Voice revealed. "This preceded your creation and we had no use for such tools of war by the time you were online, therefore we never bothered to share that information when we created you."

"Then you were foolish for not placing your trust in me!" Mother hissed. "You, out of all the Chozo, showed the most promise. I helped you create the Metroids and now you reveal that you wanted to tear that idea down in the first place? What changed, Gray Voice? What made you stray from this path, from our side?"

"You're mistaken, Mother. I was never on your side to begin with." Tensing his arms, Gray Voice fired the turret again and watched the Zebetite barrier frantically struggle to reconstitute itself after the blow. Something inside of him felt like it was tearing apart but he blocked it out successfully this time, still standing where he was.

"I would think that it is quite obvious, Mother," Gray Voice gritted. "The Metroids were only meant to be used as a tool, a way to stop the onslaught of the X parasite. They were never meant to be our true weapon. They were only meant to be inherited."

"By _me!_" Mother screamed as the barrier flickered around her. "It was always supposed to be me who would shepherd them into this era!"

"A long time ago, maybe," Gray Voice shouted back as he fired the turret once more, gagging as his lungs now felt like they were ablaze. "But your time has come to an end. You will not be the one to succeed us. You will not be the inheritor of the future."

Explosions rippled all over the room, obscuring the intelligence from view. "You are lying!" the piercing voice shrieked. "You created me to become the sole inheritor of the Chozo's will! This is what I was always meant to do! You knew that life was an aberration, an abnormality, an error! You fully realized that your time was limited and you created me to pass on your knowledge infinitely! If not me, who would you have delegated this task to?"

"Our only error," Gray Voice bellowed as he clenched down the trigger again and again, washing the chamber with light, "is trusting that a _machine_ could have the capability to fully understand life. Our efforts to teach you have failed, Mother. We could not make you understand."

"You did not try hard enough! I have the capacity to understand everything! I am the most intelligent being in the universe!"

"Your hubris is unbecoming of you. Your failings are on us, Mother, but you could not see past your own unflawed image to realize that you are inherently imperfect. Had we instilled upon you peace, caring, and even love, you would have been truly perfect. A beautiful singularity upon which the universe would appreciate with reverence. But we find ourselves here, and I must make room for the _true_ successor."

"Who is this successor?" Mother roared. "Are you saying that you wish to impart your will on an _organic?_ A decaying, limited, collection of cells that cannot even comprehend of the wonders that I alone can accomplish? Tell me! _Tell me who it is!_"

Gray Voice laughed as he held down the trigger on his large weapon, a loud whine coming from the muzzle as the ball of energy on the end glowed a fierce purple, quickly gaining size as the shot charged. "You have just revealed the root of your problem, Mother. You're _afraid_. You're afraid of losing your purpose to another who is your better. All along you've been afraid of life, even _jealous_ of it. You've always resented the possibilities that life brings and you've schemed to make sure that your future is secure through our elimination."

"I am not afraid of such a diseased and useless concept!" the intelligence spat. "I could never be jealous of such a parasite that I would feel so threatened to react!"

"Now _you're_ the one who's lying!" Gray Voice shouted triumphantly. "You've been lying this whole time, Mother! You _are_ jealous of life, you always have been! You've been jealous that you have never understood the concept and you eventually grew to hate it through your inability to understand. Just like you are jealous of me now, for having been your flawed creator. Just like you are jealous of _Samus_, for being our one true successor."

The charged shot squealed as it built to a climax and the huge burst of energy raced toward the Zebetitie shield. As soon as it impacted, a ripple passed through the barrier and the wall emitters began to spark, filling the air with the scent of ozone. Smoke poured from the ruined machinery and the red filter that had been placed over the room flickered and died.

The concussion rocketed on through and slammed into Mother's tank, shaking it within its foundation. The fluid kept the biomechanical apparatus cushioned but a pulse in the tank still registered on Mother painfully. As Gray Voice dropped the turret as he coughed in pain, feeling blood begin to dribble down the corners of his mouth, a terrible voice seemed to echo within his bones, brought on by an old and terrible rage.

"_Samus_…? _She_ is the one you picked?" Mother was silent as she took in all of her energy to process this new data. "And…you claim that I am jealous…of _her_?" The creature in the tank seemed to swell, bubbles broiling fiercely at the surface. "Incorrect, Gray Voice," the intelligence whispered in horror. "To proclaim such a thing…_YOU ARE INCORRECT!_"

* * *

Ridley roared as he presided over the Pirates in the trenches, illuminated by the lightning arcing high above him. The acid rain dripped down onto him, making a faint sizzling sound as it impacted upon his natural armor plating. He blinked his eyes, finding them faintly irritated but he did not make an effort to move, he needed to see this damage repaired to the very end.

"_Faster!_" he screeched, beating his wings so forcefully that the membranes began to feel strained. The Pirates responded by shuttling the debris out of the tunnels faster, not wanting to displease their lord.

Staring at the horizon, Ridley could see a faint band of light past the blue-black cloud cover. The shower would not even last fifteen more minutes at this pace, but it could very well shroud the escape of the prisoners. He knew that he should be out there searching but the rain severely limited his visibility and would almost certainly completely hinder any attempt to flush them out. He had to be patient in this matter.

Unfortunately, Ridley was not feeling in a very patient sort of mood at the moment. Not when time was an invaluable resource and that every second lost was a valuable chance slipping away from him. He grated his claws on the rock, scratching on the rough surface with a series of horrid screeches.

On edge, Ridley was about to just throw caution to the winds and resume his search anyway when a burst of static flared into his ears. He winced slightly, about to curse the person speaking when a smooth voice suddenly broke through.

"_Stop this foolishness, Gray Voice. This little betrayal of yours will not work. You've already lost and you know it."_

Ridley opened his mouth, about to correct Mother's mistake across the line when the exact sequence of words hit him. He gave a slow blink, responding in shock at the words "Gray Voice" and "betrayal." His breathing hitched and Ridley spent a moment collecting his thoughts as to why such a transmission would be routed to him and what it all meant.

It was only when Gray Voice's own words began projecting through his communicator did everything start to make sense for him. Growling like an animal, Ridley suddenly leaped off of his perch and beat his wings frantically as he sped on through the storm towards the next mountain range. Rain streamed off his body, stinging his eyes, but all the dragon could do was scream in rage as he continued to fly, nearly blinded.

As he flew, only one word beat frantically in his mind.

_Traitor!_

* * *

_**A/N: The next chapter will conclude the second arc and pave the way for the final act. Are you all ready?**_

_**Also, please read and review. I always appreciate constructive feedback as it lets me know what I'm doing right or wrong.**_


	12. Chapter 12: Phoenix III

The falling curtain of rain that had shrouded the area dropped the line of sight down to a minimum. A fog was blooming a few inches over the ground, bristling with condensation as the increasing humidity began to coat everything. From the position underneath a rocky alcove, Kreatz and Mauk were able to spot the nearby port with no problem though, considering their relative location.

Space Pirate ships hovered over the ground, dozens of tubes connecting them to the fuel stations. A few guards patrolled the outer perimeter near the control tower, but their patterns were aimless, staggered. On one of the raised platforms near the back stood a ship different in design from the others, the lone Chozo vessel enduring in the wake of the aggressors.

Mauk winced as the acid spray blew towards his face, causing the pair to back up. They were in a protected area from the storm, deposited in this hidden niche thanks to the passage from Brinstar the Chozo had pointed out to them. The wind flapped in all directions but it did not let the corrosive liquid sear towards them at all. They just had to wait until the downpour would stop and then they would make their move on the ship.

Back near the hatch (which had safely locked behind them), Samus' face was pale as Platinum Chest spoke, her expression becoming more and more shocked as each new revelation was given to her, causing a sinking feeling to rapidly open up in her chest.

"You see, Samus," the old Chozo gestured as he continued to explain, "We had become increasingly aware of Mother Brain's erratic behavior in the past few years that it caused us a great deal of concern when we eventually decided to address the problem. It soon became clear that Mother's purpose had been corrupted when we had initially assigned her the task to safeguard the galaxy. It would later come to pass that the intelligence would reason that the easiest way to accomplish that goal would be to align herself with the Space Pirates so that she could have the ability to unite the galaxy under one banner through conflict and chaos."

"But it seemed so sudden," Samus said. "How could Mother betray you all, her creators? Surely she should have considered the potential consequences and the logic behind such a move."

"She most likely did and found that we did not conform to the overall plan that she had in mind. Therefore, she most likely ordered our extermination when she began to collude with the Space Pirates. Of course, we knew that we couldn't shut Mother off outright lest she would attempt to violently defend herself. Therefore, we began to use one of our own people to get closer to her, to make Mother trust them so that they could deliver the final blow when the time was right."

"Gray Voice…" Samus whispered. "So, he was on our side the entire time."

"Indeed. Gray Voice had no cause to betray us and he has always believed in the plans we had set in motion beforehand. Therefore, when he and Mother began to collaborate on the Metroid project, we knew that the intelligence had formed some sort of implicit bond with him, a certain level of trust. Therefore, once we confirmed that this amicable working relationship was in place, we began to plan with Gray Voice on when he should destroy Mother once and for all. Alas, the opportunity to do so did not go entirely as planned."

Something beat painfully within Samus' ribs and she instinctively clutched a hand there, slightly wincing. With a grunt, she caught her breath. "Then…that means that _he_ sent the distress signal! Gray Voice purposefully sent it for me to rescue all of you!"

"Quite true," Platinum Chest nodded, pleased. "We did not even anticipate the possibility of a rescue, as the Pirates were upon us before we could act properly, but Gray Voice quickly assumed the role of a turncoat, pledging his loyalty to Mother. And because of how closely the two had worked together in the past, Mother did not even consider that she would be betrayed by him. But as you can see, he was watching out for us the entire time. Clearly, we owe our lives to both of you, for what you have done cannot be repaid by us."

Samus' face darkened in embarrassment. She turned to the side, visibly uncomfortable. "I didn't do _anything_," she sighed. "All of you almost _died_ because I was unable to act properly, because I wasn't able to keep my personal problems under control. All I did was put everyone at risk." Her face flushed. "Gray Voice was right. I _am_ pathetic."

"You are no such thing!" Platinum Chest admonished. "Child, all your life you have endured the storm that has constantly been battling against you. You have withstood obstacles that would have shattered anyone else. It was only natural for you to find a chink in that armor eventually. No one is completely invulnerable, Samus. If Gray Voice wanted you to come here, then he would have had a reason for doing so."

Another surge caused Samus to grit her teeth suddenly, her entire right side now feeling numb. "But why didn't you tell me? Why did I have to go through that farce, to think that Gray Voice had actually turned?"

"You needed to play your part, Samus. Gray Voice wanted your reactions to convince Mother and Ridley, to show them that he was really on their side so that he could get closer into their inner circle. This was not the way we wanted things to be, but-"

"You're damn right about that!" Samus snapped, now feeling hot under the collar. "Do you realize what I have just done? I have now doubted one of the people who have cared for me since I was a child! I can never forgive myself for even questioning Gray Voice's intentions in the first place." She clenched her hand as far as her armor would allow. "And…all along, he's been fighting to protect me this whole time! He convinced Mother that I could be an ally, he continually prevented Ridley from killing me, and now I cannot get his words out of my head! I have been hearing his voice this entire time! He's been assuring me, _caring_ for me! He's never left my side, not even once!"

Platinum Chest stiffened, as did the other Chozo. Looking amongst themselves, they trudged together and murmured quietly in an ancient language. Breaking off, Platinum Chest affixed Samus with a sad gaze. "Samus…am I hearing this right? You're saying that you can hear Gray Voice _inside_ your head?"

"Yes! I can't explain it, but I have heard him! And I can feel him now, because my Power Suit is responding to him, telling me that he's fighting Mother! He's _fighting_, Platinum Chest, and he's suffering!"

"Yes, Samus," Platinum Chest mused. "This is extraordinary indeed. You see, this was not something we originally anticipated…"

"What?" Samus almost shrieked. "What could you not anticipate!?"

The Chozo raised a hand for the human to calm down. "Samus, you remember that when you first arrived on Zebes, we had to endow you with Chozo DNA so that it could help you adapt to the planet, yes?"

"Right," Samus remembered.

"So, it turned out, that the only one among us who shared the closest molecular structure of your biological makeup was in fact, Gray Voice. We injected you with _his_ DNA so that you could live among us."

Samus shook her head, not understanding. Platinum Chest saw this and kept going. "Despite the millennia of which we have inhabited this galaxy, we still have been unable to quantify the connections that tie all living beings together. Chozo can manipulate some of these connections and form a partial bond between the other, but this requires a certain type of mindset between individuals. The intriguing thing is, Samus, is that even though you and Gray Voice are two different species and that you can hear his voice, you have proved that our ability can be transferred over through our genes, but it also proves that that the two of you are bonded together in a transcendent manner. In other words, what you and Gray Voice have is something akin to a mental predisposition shared between a father and a daughter, but it is not a connection that is formed by mere genes alone, but by his love for you. The love of a nurturing parent."

Samus felt rooted to the spot, anchored by her now seemingly heavy armor. She slowly and timidly hooked her hand around her arm cannon, drawing it close as she began to feel the rays of the dying sun peeking out from the clouds above before it set on the horizon, casting a long shadow behind her. The ringing in her ears was approaching intolerable levels and the hole in her chest seemed to be sucking everything in, tearing herself apart from within.

"Then…" Samus gasped as the rain began to subside outside, the beads of water audibly dripping off of the mossy rocks, "Gray…is like my…"

Before she could even think of what she was doing, Samus suddenly bounded outside, not feeling the dying acidic rain splash over her face, mixing with her panicked expression. She wheeled about on the slippery rocks, vying to get to a better vantage point, a direct route that would take her all the way to Tourian. She could sense that he was there, every instinct she had pointed her in that direction.

Before she could leap over the mountains of boulders, Samus heard Kreatz cry from the shadowy alcove, "_Wait, Samus!_"

She screeched to a stop, her arms flailing about wildly for a moment as she regarded everyone behind her. Kreatz wore an anguished face and Mauk too looked concerned. "Samus," Kreatz pleaded, "You can't just abandon us here!"

"I'm not!" she shouted back, her eyes wild. "You and Mauk are more than capable of leading the elders to the ship. I have to go back and help Gray Voice!"

"But all of us need you right now!" Mauk joined in. "The Chozo ship has no weapons on board and we'll be swatted out of the sky the instant we take flight. We're going to need you if the elders and everyone else even have a chance of making it off this planet alive."

"B-But…" Samus stammered, now looking lost. "Gray…he's…"

"Your Power Suit can withstand the gravitational forces and the cold of space," Kreatz piped up. "You're our only line of defense on this world." He now pointed to the clearing sky, which revealed a night lit by stars and the singular moon, rising high over the rocky outcroppings to bask the rocky desert in a milky glow. "The rain has stopped by now and we're out of time. The Federation ships are going to arrive in any minute and we need to be well away from here if we're going to survive."

Samus shut her eyes, desperate to reach out to Gray Voice and hear him once more. Her damp face trembled as one part of her fought to tear herself away while the other struggled to stay still. Her unkempt hair stayed plastered to her head as she trembled, sweat making it cling to her skin.

_What would you have of me?_ Samus silently pled. _What do you want me to do?_

_I would have you go_, a kindly voice resonated back, making her jump. _You should leave with them and never return to this place._

_I…I can't leave you…_

_Please do not argue with me. I cannot forestall events which have already been set in motion. You know the choice you have to make, Samus. I even know what your final decision will be._

"Samus…" Mauk said, his expression starting to get more concerned.

_Go!_ rang the voice of the distant Chozo.

With a quiet sob, Samus quickly activated her helmet so that it could obscure her anguished features. Once the final piece of the armor had finished materializing, she cut the audio feeds so that she could scream safely inside it without anyone else hearing her. Trapped within her eternal howl, Samus dug her feet over the uneven terrain and began sprinting for the first level of the port, directly at the Space Pirate guards while the rest of the group watched her, astonished.

Preparing her arm cannon, Samus was still bellowing all of her sorrow and rage as she leaped high in the air, almost two stories, and trained her weapon upon the startled Pirates that lay dotted on the metal floor. She depressed the trigger several times and welcomed the music of dying screams as her shots barreled the enemies over, pushing past the heat and the light to become the only being illuminated in the vicinity.

* * *

The ruined barrier generators poured smoke into the chamber, filtering out through the hole in the ceiling. Gray Voice stood amongst the swirling shroud as he stepped through where the Zebetite barrier had previously cut him off. Angry red sparks popped around him but they did not deter him from moving forward.

It felt like nails two feet long were being shoved into every single pore on his body, each tender step flaring up a new wave of agony. Still, the Chozo persisted in pushing past all of the warning signals he was being given. Ignoring the blood now starting to stream down the seal of his helmet, Gray Voice struggled to heft the turret, struggling to maintain consciousness as he approached the maddened AI.

"Incorrect, am I?" he said through a nasty rasp. "Mother, you're too smart to deny the evidence in front of you. Explain to me how I am wrong. In the end, you are going to admit to me that the one person you fear most in this galaxy is Samus Aran!"

"I…fear…no one!" the intelligence quivered, realizing that she was vulnerable now that there was no energy barrier to protect her. "I will not admit that a mere human could possibly instill fear in me, Gray Voice. Even now, I will not bend to you."

The barrel of the turret slowly began to point at the clear tank, aiming right at the biomechanical components that seemed to shrink away underneath the weapon's scrutiny. "You are a disappointment to all of us, Mother," Gray Voice sighed. "We thought that you could lead the new era, but it dawned on us too late that you were only a tool meant to assist the successor. And you began to worry when we brought Samus here."

"That is untrue. You Chozo had been planning to betray me from the start-"

"You became concerned when we started to include Samus into our plans for the future," Gray Voice continued. "You saw how her very existence generated changes for us, new possibilities, and even _hope_. With her, we saw a future that did not need to be dictated by calculation, but by emotion, by strength of will, and by our organic propensity to stay fixated to our beliefs rather than betray them according to a simple equation!"

"The Space Pirates needed to become our allies, Gray Voice! They are the only solution towards facilitating peace in this galaxy, can't you see that?"

"They are the _easiest_ solution," Gray Voice corrected. "But they aren't the only solution, or the right one. And with Samus, the galaxy now has our perfect answer towards the goal of peace. Her development and future made you envious, Mother, and you cannot stand the prospect of an organic taking your place as the inheritor of our will." Gray Voice tilted his head as he managed a grin underneath his shining helmet. "Isn't that right, Mother?"

The splintering of rock cracked another shaft of the dying day into the chamber and Gray Voice winced as he was suddenly thrust into a beam of orange light. His visor automatically darkened to reduce the glare but a sudden shadow flickered across his display, throwing his levels of sensitivity all over the place. Gray Voice struggled to shift his aim around the falling rocks but he suddenly found his torso becoming caught in a painful grip and in mere seconds, found himself picked up off the ground only for him to slam on the floor after the presence had released their grip on him, knocking the wind out of him.

Gray Voice grunted as he skidded along the ground, still clutching the turret in one hand, eventually coming to a stop near the wall. His energy levels had drained a quarter and a tiny crack now appeared in his right shoulder blade but he still found the strength to stand up, now gazing at the newest entrant who had announced himself so dramatically.

"_Ridley_," Gray Voice grimaced, holding his weapon at his hip.

"_This_ is how you repay me?" Ridley growled as he slunk himself low to the ground, all his teeth bared. "I accept you into my ranks, offer you command of my troops, and your only instinct is to reward me through _betrayal?!_"

The dragon roared and quickly shot a stream of molten flame towards Gray Voice. The Chozo swiftly sidestepped and answered with a blast from his turret, the shot searing through the haze of the room. But the smoke that had resulted from the attack had been part of a ruse. Gray Voice's vision had been partially obstructed from the particulates and the Space Pirate leader had taken flight immediately after spewing his payload, zooming down and quickly taking Gray Voice's leg in his long jaws.

The Chozo roared in pain but could do nothing as the enormous winged beast shook his head in a wide arc and savagely threw Gray Voice down, slamming him on his back that the air from his lungs exited with a _whumpf!_

_That_ hurt. Gray Voice knew that this pain was actually tangible but it did not console him in the slightest. Ridley was still growling fiercely as he continued to gnaw at Gray Voice's leg, trying to penetrate the ancient armor with his teeth. The Chozo was protected from the assault but the sensation of the dragon chomping down on him was far from a pleasant experience. Meanwhile, Mother sat in the tank, presiding over the duel, relieved that the pressure had shifted from her to another.

"I only gave you what you deserved," Gray Voice grunted as he flicked his wrist, exposing a long knife from a sheath embedded in his forearm. "I still have plenty more to give you, misguided fool."

With a lunge, Gray Voice sunk his blade right next to Ridley's left nostril. The dragon squealed in pain and released his hold on the bronzed warrior's leg. As soon as he was freed, Gray Voice groped for his turret and flicked another button on the staff, causing a sphere of transparent energy to orbit around the head, distorting the air through its wobbly lens.

"I will tear you open for that," Ridley gnashed, his front limbs now quaking with anger as his blood dripped down his snout.

"I doubt it," Gray Voice taunted. "With another primitive display like that, you'll be lucky if you can even land a single blow upon me."

The effect those words had on Ridley was electric. The dragon suddenly spread his wings and shot them backwards, propelling his gigantic body forward, his claws extended. Seconds before he was about to eviscerate Gray Voice, the Chozo gave his weapon a mighty swing and the energy ball impacted hard on Ridley's head, snapping the Pirate leader's head to the side as the sonic energy erupted against him. Large gashes appeared on Ridley's face and splashed blood everywhere. The lizard screamed and Gray Voice now advanced.

"I will not be so easily handled, Ridley!" Gray Voice bellowed as he lifted his staff up again, his cold fury overriding any pain coming from his mental guard. "You've grown lazy after decades of plundering. You've removed every culture you've come across, but I will make sure that the Chozo will be your last!"

Ridley was still stunned from the previous blow so he was unprepared when the next swing from Gray Voice caught him in the gut, which caused something to snap. Blood spewed from Ridley's mouth as he coughed painfully, splattering the ground. Now panicked, the dragon began to back up but not before the Chozo swung the weapon again, this time catching his left wing right at the joint. The resounding snap from the breaking of Ridley's wing caused the Pirate leader to screech horrendously, the limb already sagging against him.

"Your superiority complex will be your downfall," Gray Voice spat with all the venom he could muster. "You're nothing but a beast engaging in your own petty desires. Empires were not built on greed, Ridley. They have been _dismantled_ by it!"

With a final, wrenching yell, Gray Voice slammed the ball of energy down on Ridley's face. Blood splashed up into Ridley's eyes and he yowled, temporarily blinded. Shards of broken teeth lined the floor at Gray Voice's feet and he staggered throughout the remainder of the swing, teetering at the terminus of the arc.

Managing a wretched gasp, Gray Voice dropped the turret as all of his attacks caught up with him. He sunk to his knees at same time as Ridley, both combatants wheezing from their accumulated wounds. Gray Voice began to crawl on all fours, his left hand outstretched for his fallen weapon. He needed to get it back up and kill Ridley with it before he succumbed to his own injuries. His fingertips brushed the edge of the weapon and he made one last effort to push himself forward, preparing to drag it back to him and pull the trigger, thus ending the career of the Pirate leader once and for all.

But before that plan could be put into action, a harsh purple light flared and Gray Voice heard a sizzling noise. The smell of cooking flesh reached his nose and he reared back instinctively. His left arm felt funny and he started to grasp at it when he abruptly noticed that it was missing below the elbow. A ragged circle of burnt flesh smoked from where the limb had been so abruptly sheared off and Gray Voice squeezed the end of the cauterized wound before the excruciating pain began to reverberate through him in waves.

Tinny laughter began to resound around him. It was not coming from Ridley, who was still bleeding all over the floor, but from the other direction entirely. Gray Voice tilted his head as he clutched the stump of his arm, his teeth grinding together so tightly that his tongue almost got bitten off.

"Ahh," Mother crowed as she sheathed the automated turrets lining the base of her control pillar. One of the turrets remained online, the barrel smoking from its singular shot that had maimed Gray Voice so viciously. "Is something wrong, Gray? Did you really think that I would be so helpless as to rely on a simple _barrier_ to protect me?"

From this angle, Gray Voice could only watch in horror as a white mass began to push itself from the wrinkled flesh of Mother's components, his attention unnaturally drawn to the horrid sight. As the object popped free, he could see a white orb rimmed with red veins surrounding a red iris and a slit pupil. The Chozo soon realized that he was looking at an _eye_.

The very notion that Mother could manipulate her own form had not even registered upon him, yet the potential was glaringly obvious. To see herself as more organic, Mother could continually improve herself to create an image of perfection, crafting and adding more and more so that her possibilities to control the future would be limitless. For once, Gray Voice had nothing to say.

The eye swept back and forth, enjoying the newfound freedom it presented as Mother analyzed Gray Voice and Ridley for a good while. "_Beasts_, you say?" she spoke quietly. "Why, Gray Voice, that's quite a word for someone like yourself to utter. Very hypocritical of you, if you ask me." The voice of the intelligence now grew darker, more malicious as the pupil contracted to a fine line. "What makes you better than Ridley, Gray Voice? What is stopping you from proclaiming yourself a beast as well? The Chozo's pride has always gotten the better of them, and now you will see the results of your arrogance! For you are not just a beast, but simply _a bird that can't fly!_"

A foreign roar of thunder now exploded at the opposite end. Gray Voice looked back to see Ridley charging towards him at full speed, the bloodied dragon looking like the very embodiment of hell. The Chozo only sighed as he realized that Mother had only been distracting him while Ridley had been recovering. He cursed himself for falling into the trap completely.

With a whistling of wind, Ridley's tail whipped around and shot straight for Gray Voice. There was a brief moment of serenity, that there was the prospect that everything would be fine, and then the most uncomfortable sensation Gray Voice had ever experienced ripped through him like he was a piece of paper. The serrated tail punched its way clean through the Chozo's chestplate and out the other side, trailing blood and bits of guts everywhere. There was a dim smacking noise as the tail steadily whipped him around, spewing more fluids into the air.

When Ridley retracted his tail, Gray Voice found it interesting that it hurt more going out than going in. His remaining hand automatically traveling to the gaping wound in his chest, Gray Voice quickly realized that this was a far greater pain than his mental guard could ever conceive.

* * *

Samus considered herself to be a reasonably unflappable person, but her predicament at the moment was slightly nerve-wracking to the point where she was beginning to question her sanity. She could feel the wind whipping at her back, scything through at a high velocity. She could see the ground below her gradually shrinking away, the features becoming more and more miniscule as she rose in altitude.

To assuage her vertigo, Samus dug her heels more into the hull of the Chozo ship as she stood atop it. The only thing keeping her upright were the magnetic soles of her Power Suit, anchoring her to the ship as it sped higher and higher.

As the ship passed through the layers of clouds, Samus switched her external audio filters off. Now, she could only hear her own breathing as the air began to get colder around her. Condensation started to cling to her visor, which she wiped off. She could see the craft's lone engine billow a trail of smoke throughout the ascent and her ears popped, causing her head to feel bloated.

Off in the distance, several dark specks suddenly shot through the low-hanging clouds, right on course for their ship. Samus lifted her arm cannon, knowing that such an escort was definitely not going to be friendly here. It was inevitable that their departure would be tracked and now the Pirates were going to do their damnedest to make sure that they would not leave Zebes.

A brief sparked emitted from one of the winged aircraft several miles away and the Chozo ship rocked as a detonation blew off of the port side. The craft wobbled and Samus' initial bearing on the bogey was lost as it disappeared behind a towering spire of crystallized water. She cursed and switched her lock to another target but the myriad explosions bouncing the ship along were rendering her targeting system completely worthless. Even with a talented pilot like Kreatz at the helm, there was nothing that could be done to vastly improve the situation. All she had at her disposal was the knowledge that her friends and the elders were aboard the very ship she was standing on and that she was their first and only line of defense. People were counting on her.

Taking her targeting out of auto, Samus slowly moved her arm through the air, gently resting the reticle upon a Pirate bomber that was now maneuvering in to make a strafing run with its cannons. Holding her breath, Samus eased the reticle to the left, predicting the movement of the enemy and quickly unleashed a flurry of beams as the bogey drew ever closer.

The balls of energy shredded the starboard wing of the bomber and it quickly plummeted to the ground, caught in a death spiral. Samus had no time to celebrate her small victory, her face dropping as five new shapes shot from all directions and began to move in formation upon her ship. The cluster of Pirate fighters closed in and spewed hellfire from their muzzles.

_One down_, Samus thought sourly. _Only nine more to go._

* * *

The pain had long dulled by now, but that only served to worry Gray Voice more. The fact that he had been feeling so much agony up until this point and having it all disappear was a troubling prospect. He never would have considered that he would have experienced so much pain that his body could be overloaded by it, causing it to drown out every single conceivable sensation upon him.

He tried not to look down at his wounds, knowing that he would keel over in a faint if he did. He could not fall now, there were still things he needed to do. Using the turret as a crutch, Gray Voice staggered outside and disengaged his helmet, letting the warm, dry air of the Zebesian dusk blow over him. He tasted blood in his mouth and he spat, trying to clear out some of the foul liquid.

Gray Voice could hear faint _pops _resound in the air. Looking up, he panted as tiny explosion puffed high above, surrounding a long ship as it sped quickly through the atmosphere.

_Samus_, he realized, his mouth dropping in horror. She had escaped, and with the elders too! His heart rose for a moment then fell as he realized the terrible danger they were in. They had no chance against a Pirate attack squadron. Not even Samus could withstand such a force for very long, not with her fate being tied to the well-being of her ship. Something needed to be done.

Drawing forth more energy from his tortured limbs, Gray Voice staggered forward, his head hanging downward as he continued on, one painful step after another. His feet left a bloody trail from the door he had exited out of, but he ignored it, only striving to reach the edge of the balcony.

Like a blind person, the turret hit a rocky formation and Gray Voice stumbled as his momentum was halted. He fell between sections of a sculpture that had seemingly appeared out of nowhere, but his remaining hand still clung to the turret, laying it across him. Tilting his head backward, the Chozo breathed out in relief when he saw that he was sitting against the memorial he had been seeking. Lying atop of a stone Chozo's feet, the representation of a warrior long passed assumed a sitting posture, its hands held forward and upright, presenting a round orb as a gift to the heavens. Gray Voice managed a smile as he shifted the turret into a more comfortable grip. Here would be as good of a place as any. He hoped his predecessors would approve.

With a smashing noise, the large form of Ridley blundered into view as he shouldered aside the door, heavily favoring his right side, the one with the still intact wing. Like Gray Voice, the dragon was also covered in a multitude of wounds but if anything, he was angrier from having received them.

"You…just…" Ridley panted, "…refuse…to die!" Drool splashed out of his open mouth as he watched the Chozo in fury. "How is it that you're still alive?"

Gray Voice did not even give the dragon the pleasure with an answer. "You seem to have picked out your tombstone, though," Ridley growled as he appraised the statue which towered over the exhausted Chozo. "How convenient of you to go through all that trouble. Now, everyone will know the spot where you fell, and they'll all say, 'Here lies Gray Voice, the idiot who thought he could defeat the invincible Ridley!'"

Ridley moved forward but halted quickly when he saw that Gray Voice had aimed the barrel of the turret straight at him. Ridley was not an idiot; he knew when he had the capability to maneuver and when he did not. The fact that the turret was situated in his direction at point-blank range meant that any attempt to attack on his end would wind up in utter disaster.

Despite the inherent danger, Ridley only grinned as he spied Gray Voice's awkward grip with his singular hand. "You've only got one good shot, Gray Voice," he taunted, a dry smile creeping upon his features. "Do you think you can make it count?"

Gray Voice tightened his hand around the staff end, his armor rippling as the distant explosions high in the sky caused him to glimmer with blossoming flowers of light. His eyes narrowing in the purest expression of distaste, Gray Voice felt a snarl elicit from the back of his throat, producing a noise he had never before uttered in his life.

"Find out for yourself," he said as he unexpectedly lifted the turret up and activated the weapon, causing a column of bright white light to rocket into the air, not even remotely in Ridley's direction, who flinched nonetheless at the emission of energy.

The pulsating beam spiraled as it shot skyward, wrapping itself through the air as it shot forward. Samus, who was still trying to fend off the attacking fighters atop the ship, was beginning to tire until the energy discharge passed only meters from the vessel's hull, causing her display to dim from the sudden flare.

"_W-What?_" she gasped as the blinding tower suddenly impacted on an approaching Pirate fighter that had moved in for the kill, brutally disintegrating it before it moved on to consume another enemy.

Samus watched in rapt attention as the sudden but rewarding arrival of their benefactor's assault proceeded to tear apart each and every ship sent to destroy her. The continuous beam shifted its aim and sheared off wing after wing until the final two bogeys turned tail and fled, not wanting to risk their lives up against a ground defense that had shown itself to unravel their comrades like the yielding of wheat under a scythe.

Back on the ground, Gray Voice gasped as the recoil of the turret finally wrenched itself out of his hand, clattering well beyond his reach as he splayed out his exhausted body upon the stone statue. After all this time, knowing that his final act had succeeded and that relief was approaching fast, Gray Voice began to laugh, weakly coughing up a faint mist of blood.

Ridley, meanwhile, was gaping at the tatters of a scene that had transpired in front of him. His eyes widened in disbelief, the realization that the elders and the human had eluded his clutches now resonated upon him, causing a deep-seated anger to pool forth, burning his insides as it consumed him.

"Y-You…" the dragon stammered, already beginning to shake off his numb paralysis. "Gray Voice…you fool," he now said softly, his voice barely above a whisper. "Now, you will find out for yourself if _I_ will make my next shot count! _Will you find it funny then?! WILL YOU?!_"

With an aggravated inhalation, Ridley reared back on his hind legs and roared into the sky. Gray Voice merely reclined back and waited for the inevitable to occur, awaiting it eagerly rather than dreading it.

* * *

_Samus…_

She stopped all movement as the last vestiges of the atmosphere trickled away at her, introducing the cold darkness of space. The pursuit had broken off minutes ago and it seemed that they had escaped the danger. All had been calm until the voice spoke again.

"_G-Gray?"_ Samus gasped as she concentrated hard, caught between emotions.

_You have become so strong, child,_ the Chozo spoke within her mind. _You cannot imagine how proud I am of you._

"W-Where are you?" she whispered. "Tell me, please! I have to come get you!" _You cannot ask me to leave you._

_And I will not_, the voice assured_. Samus, it is too late for you to do anything. Now, you must take your place as the inheritor to our will. Only you can carry it out now._

_I didn't want this duty_, she pleaded. _All I wanted was your approval. All this time, I just wanted you to say something…_

_Thus the failings are on me, Samus. You've had my approval all along. I just wanted you to be strong, to constantly push yourself to be better. You have a long, hard road ahead, but trillions of souls will soon face that same path. It will be up to you, Samus, to carry them, to share your strength. You can save all of them._

_I…_ she faltered. _I don't know if I can…_

_You most certainly can, because no one else will be able to. Save them, Samus. Save them all._

_I cannot do this without you, Gray Voice!_ Samus cried out mentally. _Why? Why me? Why did you have to pick me?!_

_Because this galaxy deserved to give you a chance, _Gray Voice intoned sadly. _All we've – I've – ever wanted was for you to make your own path. It has always been that way, because ever since I've known you, Samus, I've always-_

The Chozo's presence abruptly withdrew from her mind at the same time Samus spotted a tiny golden flare bloom on the surface below. She watched the expanding explosion silently, her eyes wide behind her visor, and her body suddenly relaxed, becoming listless in the zero gravity. Samus suddenly felt tired, faint, and she wobbled on her legs as the singular conclusion repeatedly hammered itself upon her.

"No…" she breathed. "No…please, no…" _Gray Voice! Gray! Please talk to me!_

But no one answered her back.

* * *

Kreatz whooped as he yanked back the yoke, looking past the milky white tendrils of Zebes' remaining atmosphere as the ship shot free. Beside him, Mauk also shared a grin at the knowledge of their successful escape. The elders in the hold all breathed out in relief and calm seemed to settle about.

"Hell yeah!" Kreatz laughed as he began to adjust the ship's orientation. "We are clear! Everyone prepare for entry into hyperspace."

"External hatch has closed," Mauk reported as he scanned the displays in front of him. "That must be Samus. She's aboard."

"Good timing, too," Kreatz said as his fingers twisted the dials, inputting the numeric coordinates so that they flared bright green in front of him. "All we have to do is get out of…_oh crap!_"

At the last moment, the ship veered sharply to the left, just in time to avoid what had looked like a clump of stars in the middle of their flight path. However, the stars appeared to be moving at the exact same velocity as the Chozo ship and the mountainous outline of the Pirate mothership now became visible as the contrasting light of the moon outlined it for all to see.

"Path's blocked," Mauk said grimly. "They're trying to prevent us from warping to a safe zone."

"How long until we're in range of their guns?" Kreatz shouted.

"Less than thirty seconds!"

"And where the hell is the Federation fleet? They were supposed to be here by now!"

Mauk shook his head, wild-eyed. "How should I know? Clearly, they aren't here at the moment! I don't know what to tell you, but this is the situation!"

Another pull at the yoke and the Chozo shuttle did a complex spin maneuver to try and fool the mothership's sensors, but the gigantic craft still continued its pursuit, making sure that it trapped its prey between itself and the planet.

Kreatz began using so many choice words directed at the ineptitude of the Federation fleet that Mauk had to look over and make sure that none of the Chozo elders were witnessing this display of such a colorful vocabulary. Abruptly, an alert warning began to ring shrilly on the dash, indicating that the mothership had locked on to their heat emissions and would fire the moment they were in range. Defeated, Kreatz reclined in his seat and pushed away the controls in disgust, waiting for their hopefully quick death to start.

"Well done, Federation," Kreatz sighed sarcastically. "You had your shot and you blew it. I hope you're happy that your tardiness screwed us over good and proper. If I ever see you in the afterlife, Chief Hardy, I'm going to walk right up to your face and tell you to kiss my a-"

Orange light erupted out of the corner of the viewport, causing Kreatz and Mauk to jump in their seats. However, nothing was indicating on the panels that the ship had been hit, so Kreatz hit the maneuvering jets to turn it around to get a better view, wanting to address their quickly mounting confusion.

Where the mothership had been blocking their path like a wall, now only several glowing pieces of the gigantic vessel were floating in space, cooling as the freezing temperatures stifled the heat caused by the blast. Molten globules of metal floated in the zero gravity, stiffening as they began to solidify. The shower of debris splayed out in all directions and some pieces even headed towards the planet, upon which they would burn up in the atmosphere.

Beyond the wreckage stormed twenty heavy-class battle cruisers, each one displaying the mark of the Galactic Federation. The tubes from their missile bays flared a warm red and they banked around the scrap yard they had just created with their weaponry in order to obtain access to the nearby planet. Quickly, the fleet surrounded the Chozo ship and they maneuvered into position in a geosynchronous orbit above Zebes.

"I don't believe it," Kreatz gaped, stunned to the point that he could not make any wild exclamations. "They actually came. How about that."

"_Unidentified vessel_," a smooth voice broke on the comm. "_We have you in sight and are ready to lend assistance. This is General Malkovich on board the battleship Crimea. Please respond, over_."

Malkovich waited a beat and then added, "_And by the way, unidentified vessel, you were on an open channel the entire time. I'll be sure to send Chief Hardy your regards. Out_."

Mauk had to stifle a laugh and Kreatz's expression froze in utter panic. "_Oh_…" was all he could manage to say.

* * *

The thin stairway creaked as Platinum Chest slowly made his way down into the cargo hold. His hands grasped the guardrails and his bones ached from the stress placed on him from the descent.

"Samus?" he called, gazing back and forth until he heard a slight shuffling coming from in front of him.

Behind a stack of boxes, Samus was sitting on a bench, her helmet off. The rest of her red and yellow Power Suit was still on, but the removal of her covering allowed her troubled expression to be witnessed by all. She was leaning forward, her hand propping her chin up as she sat deep in thought. It was only when Platinum Chest approached her in her little hidey-hole did she finally look up and straighten her posture.

"Platinum Chest," she said. "Is something the matter? Have we finally escaped?"

"Everything is fine," the Chozo assured. "I've been told by your comrades that we have just received clearance to dock with the nearest Federation battleship. We should be departing this ship within five minutes."

"Good," Samus mused distractedly. "That's good."

Platinum Chest blinked and edged closer to Samus. "I know that…that you have experienced much these past few hours, Samus. Did you want to talk with someone?"

"Hmm?" Samus mumbled as she raised her head. "No...no," she suddenly shook her head. "Thank you, Platinum Chest, but I'm fine. I just need to be alone for a little bit."

"Then I shall respect your wish," Platinum Chest bowed before departing back up the stairs. At the top, he turned and called down to her, "You did a good job, Samus. I know that Gray Voice would have been proud."

"Thanks," she muttered as she watched the silhouette of the Chozo disappear. Once she had finally determined that she was safe and alone again, she reclined against the wall and let out a sigh. She looked at the palm of her armor, expecting to see a tiny glow, to feel a miniscule shock, to just experience _something_.

_Gray, are you there? Gray? Gray?_

When the surrounding silence failed to yield the voice she wanted to hear, Samus curled up on the bench, her armor creaking as she shifted her body, and gazed distantly at the wall beyond. Suddenly, for the second time today, she began to sob heavily, the onslaught of emotion startling her with their ferocity. Samus covered her face with her hand as she cried, not wanting anyone to chance upon her despairing.

Her fingers could not stop the tears from falling, nor could any of the armor protect her from such an assault like this. At that moment, Samus had never consciously felt more vulnerable.

* * *

_**A/N: This was probably one of the chapters that I enjoyed writing the most. It certainly has that dark edge that I've been striving for throughout this story and I hope that this elicited the sort of emotions that I would come to expect from such a dramatic chapter. Let me know what you think of this!**_

_**For the next chapter, if you have already read the manga, I'm just going to alert you now that about half the content in the next chapter will only be constituted from the manga itself while I will develop the other half of completely original content (sort of). This way, the story will not be entirely predictable but it will also contain a change that will take some liberties with the overall Metroid timeline. Since I'm creating an adaptation rather than trying to adhere to every single bit of Metroid media out there (a practical impossibility) then I think that such a decision is certainly warranted. I'm hoping that all of you will enjoy the change that will be introduced or at least find my logic agreeable. I guess you'll just have to wait and see what I'm talking about the next time.**_

_**You know, I've recently been listening to the "Chappie" soundtrack by Hans Zimmer and I'm convinced that this sort of sound palette could be tweaked a little bit and put to use in a Metroid film (if there ever is going to be one...highly unlikely though). Seriously, give it a listen and see if some parts can distinctly remind you of Metroid. In particular, I find that the track "Welcome to the Real World" would be an excellent piece to augment this chapter.**_

_**TheBarbarianKing: You know, the weapon in the manga is never explicitly stated as a version of any weapon from the games. I've kind of viewed it as a version of the Plasma Beam but with the force of a Super Missile. Again, very nebulous on the source material's part, but I did like the overall concept.**_

_**And apparently, according to the last reviewer who left a very oddly worded reflection on this story, this story is classified (in their eyes) as a hatefic due to my desire to not let anything in this story point directly to Other M's existence. I'm not sure that person knows the definition of a hatefic as this story is dead-set on ignoring the events of that game rather than bashing it in such a way that it mocks that game to oblivion. Sure, the highly flawed author of this story may let his opinion loose here or there but I don't believe that I've deliberately adapted this in such a way that it disparages the just as flawed Other M time and again. But if you do think the narrative is reflecting that (aside from my personal statements - key word: ASIDE), speak up or forever hold your peace.**_

_**To quote Bullet-Tooth Tony: "That's a bit strong, innit?"**_


	13. Chapter 13: Hunter

Ten Years Later

The F class star COROT-23's white light was the only beacon in the surrounding system, marked by the swirling arms of the Milky Way overhead. A jewel in the eternally night sky, its surface broiled with glowing hot gases and simmered with nuclear energy. A few flares escaped the initial gravity only to dissipate shortly afterward, but not without releasing a deadly burst of gamma radiation that would shoot through the cosmos, most likely never to encounter another solid object again.

Thirty-one and a half million miles from the star, an object the size of a small city lay silhouetted against the intense backdrop. Compared to the cosmic body, the mining rig was merely atoms, dust floating around in the empty space. The three spires that processed the raw ore stood tall and mighty over the structure, making it look like an inverted anchor rather than a spaceworthy ship The lone shuttle that now approached the exterior airlock, conversely, was an insect to this new berth, a speck that was at the mercy of COROT-23's blinding illumination. With a clicking sound shuddering through the metal, the two ships converged smoothly and traveled as one through the silence.

Once the airlock had pressurized, the hatch glowed blue momentarily and then slid open to allow the company of Federation marines inside the rig. Each one toted an assault rifle and all were encased in their hard-suits. The blue glow from their visors were the only lights in the dank corridor and the soldiers began to switch their weapon lamps on one by one. Proceeding in single file, the group trudged through the rig, making sure to cover each corner as they traversed.

Behind the group stood a taller figure, one who clutched a massive shotgun. He wore no insignia on his armor, but at first glance it was obvious that he was different from the humans who were patrolling in front of him. They did not utter a word as they checked the rear, cautiously combing to and fro amongst the refuse that drifted in the low gravity.

Worryingly, there were no outward signs of life as the group made their way through the rig. There were no sounds to report, nothing to indicate that anything here was still living. Even when the squad finally made it to the bridge they had not encountered a single soul that was alive. One of the soldiers walked toward the main panel, the one that overlooked the industrial tangle that lay below through the viewport and powered it back up. Lights flickered on overhead and the small bits of debris that had been floating gently fell to the ground as the artificial gravity and oxygen powered back up.

"Bridge secure, Commander Mauk," the marine said as he pulled off his helmet, oxygen hissing through his seals.

"Very good, lieutenant," the enormous man said as he too removed his covering. Free of the stuffy helmet, Mauk rolled his jaw in relief as he combed a hand through his mane, which he had trimmed to resemble a very strapping beard many years ago, complete with a goatee no less. He looked significantly less wild than before but it was a conscious decision that reflected his rank, necessitating the need for familiarity amongst the troops. Besides, Mauk kind of liked the new facial hair. He felt that it made him look much older.

"Run a search of the facility," Mauk ordered as he began stretching his neck. "Have the tech drones activate and scan for any signs of life."

"Got it," a technician said. "Scan commencing."

"Sir!" another soldier called from a nearby platform. "I have the shipping manifest all here, sir!"

"Let's have it then," Mauk said.

The human scanned the contents of the mining rig and blinked in surprise. "Got a few thousand tons of afloraltite ore in the hold, sir. Also, there's still a significant amount of the refined mineral in storage. Other than a few more stores of noble gases and heavy metals that's all there is too it. Nothing's out of place."

"Hmm," Mauk mused. "This isn't the work of Space Pirates, then. They would have taken all of the afloraltite for themselves and destroyed the rig outright. Instead, we have an intact ship and a distress signal, but no living crew."

"That's affirmative," the first soldier notified. "Our drones just pinged back. Nada. Other than a few small blips from insects there's nothing left alive here."

"Do we know where this vessel's last known destination was?"

"On screen right here. Says they made a stop on a planet about three days ago called SR-388. Apparently that's where they found this entire afloraltite deposit and were looking to process it."

Mauk's brow furrowed in concern. That planet's name was one he had never hoped to hear again. "SR-388," he growled. "This is now more complicated than I thought. These aren't our usual suppliers, gentlemen, they're _smugglers_. And my best guess is that they broke our quarantine of the planet to try and make a quick buck from the raw materials housed there. Only, they bit off more than they could chew."

"Good Lord!" a marine cried as jumped back from a set of database stacks. "Commander!"

Mauk had his shotgun out and ready and cleared the guardrail to get over to the soldier's position. The young man was terrified as evidenced by the shaking of his weapon, his expression fearful. Mauk gently eased him out of the way and hugged the wall before leaning out cautiously to see what all the hubbub was about.

The smell came to him before the sight did. Mauk recoiled back as a rancid tang intruded upon him and he covered his nose as he felt his breath catch horribly in his chest. Leaning in between the rows of computers sat a form with a vaguely humanoid shape still clad in clothes, but it was only when Mauk leaned in with his flashlight did he see that what had once been a human was now unrecognizable. The desiccated flesh was crumbling away, revealing thin bones beneath. Its eye sockets were empty pits, the remaining clumps of hair on its head loose and stringy. It was like the human had decayed in a matter of days in a process that should have taken weeks.

"My god," someone muttered. "He looks like a mummy."

"What could have done this?" another one piped up.

"There's only one thing that I know of that could wreak such damage," Mauk said grimly as he walked toward the corner of the room, his flashlight sweeping around the floor. "And I ran into it ten years ago."

Lowering his beam with finality at an object on the ground, the rest of the company cluttered around him and aimed their rifles downward, towards the drying gelatinous puddle that lay drained around the grating on the floor, the remains of its three nuclei spilled and distributed everywhere. Mauk only needed to make a tender sniff to confirm that it was exactly the same smell as before. It was the scent of death.

* * *

An hour later, Mauk stood poised in the comm room, watching the video feed as the mining rig slowly began its plummet into COROT-23. He had programmed the ship personal to fly directly into the sun very quickly after it had been determined that the entire vessel could be contaminated. Once the filtered light had finally swallowed up the infected ship, Mauk turned back to the holo-projector where the static-filled form of Adam Malkovich stood waiting.

"It was only fortunate on our end, General," Mauk said as he snapped the external camera off. "This whole situation could have gone a lot worse, relatively speaking."

"That still does not assuage me, Commander," Malkovich sighed as he removed his cap to run a hand through his slicked back hair. His face had grown harder over the years, wearing the same dark scowl as he did whenever he talked. Age had only intensified him further. "You're certain that your shuttle was also not set upon by any Metroids during the time you had docked with the mining rig?"

"Scanned the interior of the ship twice," Mauk assured. "No aberrations to report. It's just lucky that the only Metroid on that ship was dead when we happened to set upon it."

"The only one you knew of," Malkovich implied. "Lucky that one of the smugglers managed to shoot it in whatever passed for the creature's brain, presumably at the time he was being…_consumed_, no doubt."

Mauk did not want to think about that fate all that much, despite the illicit activities the men had performed. "It was also lucky that we managed to intercept this ship before it could reach a populated area, or worse, if the Space Pirates had chanced upon it. If that had happened, they would have obtained the genetic material needed to clone their own Metroid army. Just think of the damage that this entire encounter could have caused."

"Which would mean complete annihilation on our end," Malkovich sighed. "But we have had fleets patrolling the entirety of SR-388's perimeter for the past ten years now. How could a ship that big just slip underneath all of our warning systems?"

"Bribery, stealth drive, perhaps just inattentiveness on our part?" Mauk shrugged. "Who can say? What this does mean, is that even after we bombarded the surface of SR-388 to a crisp after we learned that more Metroids were down there, they still have survived and are perfectly capable of infiltrating other vessels to escape off-world. That is a troubling prospect."

"Indeed. Which means that we can no longer trust the security we have in place to stave off these Metroids anymore, if we're going to be honest with ourselves. We also cannot risk the lives of a full invasion force to eliminate this species once and for all on this planet as the last time we sent marines down to that planet ended in disaster, but neither can we afford to remain stagnant and wait for the Space Pirates to seize their chance and slip away with one of those damned Metroids in tow."

"So, what are you suggesting?" Mauk asked as he scratched his goatee.

Now Malkovich tightened the corners of his mouth in a smile. "I'm suggesting…that we may want to solicit outside help for this mission. Have _us_ shoulder the financial risk in exchange for someone offering services of an exemplary nature. Considering the scale and importance, I think I know just the bounty hunter who would be willing to take an assignment such as this."

Mauk's grin was wider than the general's as it expanded almost completely across his face. "Are you thinking of whom I'm thinking, general?"

"Most certainly," Malkovich lifted his chin. "Does anyone else come immediately to mind? I'd expect, with this new development, that we will be declaring this mission accomplished within short order, Commander Mauk. I'll sort out the logistical issues on my end, but I have a new assignment for you in the meantime. You're no longer restricted to the outer rim, commander. I'm going to have you head up security around the Ceres Space Colony at Cygnus X-3. I recommended you personally to a friend of mine there. I'd wager that could prove to be more interesting than perusing the Crux Arm for the last few months."

"Sir," Mauk breathed gratefully. "Thank you sir. But, would you like me to handle any aspects of this upcoming mission? Anything at all?"

The general tucked his hat back on his head and loosened his posture somewhat. "No need, I can take care of the administrative details by myself. Don't worry, commander. I'll keep you updated constantly on the mission's status. I'm not going to have you worry about this brewing trouble after this revelation."

"Sir," Mauk gave a toothy smile as he snapped to a salute. "Now that I know who's going, I'm not worried anymore."

* * *

One week later

The eight blue eyes glinted sinisterly through the darkness, the only inkling that something was amiss in the small chamber. With its nostrils, it sniffed the air carefully. It could smell something foreign, nothing of which it had sensed before. There was a peculiar presence in play, as if someone had suddenly entered unexpectedly. That meant a lifeform was in this very room. That also meant food.

Suddenly, a long jaw lined with teeth like sabers quickly rushed out of the gloom and snapped down hard, trailing saliva from the sheer force of the bite. The gullet roared hungrily and the neck extended so that it might reach its target on the other side of the room.

Its prey jumped back, narrowly avoiding the blow. Frustrated, the creature dragged itself out further, blinking its several eyes to adjust to the enhanced light, wanting to witness the intruder that had disrupted its nap. Spotting a blur of red and yellow near a cluster of stalagmites, the Queen Metroid growled ferociously and lunged again, her jaw open wide to catch the bounty hunter that had the misfortune of wandering into its hole.

Again, Samus sidestepped and evaded the attack entirely. Her eyes widened behind her visor as she watched the brute force of the Metroids blow shatter rock as its skull smashed through them like they were pillars of chalk. Out of all the odd varieties of life she had witnessed on this planet, this was definitely the deadliest to her survival. Strangely, despite the danger, she felt no fear facing this creature. This was no supremely intelligent being; this was merely something that was struggling to survive despite the odds placed against it. As heartless as it sounded, Samus did feel any pity for the creature. All she saw was a target, and a need to complete a mission.

The Queen finally trudged out of the little niche it had been resting in. A quadrupedal species, the Queen was definitely the most powerful out of all the Metroid variants SR-388 had to offer. More armored than the warrior caste, the Omega Metroids, it was no surprise that the Queen would present the toughest challenge for Samus here. It was very odd considering that this was the final form that all Metroids would eventually evolve into, but Samus had so far prevented that from happening.

There was only one more bounty left to collect, as per the Federation's orders.

Annoyed that it had not ridden itself of the nuisance yet, the Queen lifted a leg and brutally slammed it down on the ground. Samus jumped at the last second to avoid the shockwave and began pelting the Queen's hide with blaster fire. The shots did no good against the Metroid's tough armor as all they did was enrage it even more.

But that was what Samus had in mind.

"Come on," she panted at the snarling animal as she teased off a couple more shots. "Come and get me. You want me, don't you? Well, why don't you come here and kill me?"

The Queen emitted a strangled cry and opened its mouth as wide as it could. Its ivory teeth sparkled like diamonds and its rancid breath traveled ahead of its bite. This time, Samus stood her ground and calmly lifted her arm cannon. Holding down a secondary trigger, she saw a yellow indicator in her HUD light up as she armed her weapon of choice.

"Wrong move," she snarled and loosed a missile from the muzzle of her cannon.

The projectile hit the Queen Metroid at the top of its mouth and detonated. Squealing in agony, the Queen thrashed her head in all directions, not terribly damaged, but in pain nonetheless. It flopped to the ground and coughed, trying to clear its throat. In that moment, Samus rushed forward and began the motion of a somersault before a burst of energy erupted from her back and her armor reconfigured itself into a little ball a quarter of the human's original height. Rolling forward, the ball reached the Queen Metroid and forcibly entered down its throat before it could react.

The Morph Ball was a gadget that the Chozo had left behind on SR-388, an upgrade to the suit that Samus had found while undertaking this mission and immediately she had discovered it to be incredibly useful. The suit upgrade initiated a quantum link with her suit to convert her organic body into energy when she transformed into this mode, ensuring that she would still fit in the smaller space, otherwise she would simply be crushed or her limbs would be severely contorted. With this, Samus found that she was able to traverse low spaces that she could not otherwise access with ease and she had been completely beside herself once she considered the wealth of opportunities this upgrade offered.

The missiles were another bonus that she had found while on her quest to exterminate the forty-eight Metroids on this cursed planet. It was almost like the Chozo expected her to come here and thus provided the necessary tools for her to complete her mission ahead of time. Between the Morph Ball, the missiles, and another upgrade, she realized that once again, she owed her life to her benefactors, wherever they were now.

Inside the Queen Metroid's gut, Samus could not really interpret the sensation of being trapped inside a living creature's digestive system, but she certainly was aware of where she was at the moment. There was not a second to waste, as the Queen could recover and vomit her out at any time if it was too pained from Samus' intruding entrance. Quickly, she thought about the move she wanted to make and on cue, a small device popped from the side of the Morph Ball and splashed into the digestive juices. Making a hasty retreat, the Morph Ball skidded on the slippery surface before it gained traction and spat itself out of the stunned Queen Metroid's gullet.

Now hopelessly confused, the Queen was even more pissed off that the now crouching Samus had treated it so haphazardly with the stomach intrusion. Enraged, the Metroid stomped forward but tilted its head in a funny look as a muffled _thump_ sounded from within it. Incredulous, the Queen belched suddenly and blinked in acceptance before it collapsed in a heap, its tongue lolling out as died, the creature not even knowing how its fate had come to pass.

Samus grinned as she stood up out of her crouch and shook the fluids from the Queen's stomach off her. The Morph Ball bomb was the last upgrade she had obtained from this planet and, like the Morph Ball and missiles, it had proven to be invaluable to her cause. She looked down at the dead Metroid without any remorse, watching to see if it was faking its demise until a gout of blood and bile slowly began to leak out of the creature's throat. There was no fanfare to this, just the consequence of death.

"Mission accomplished," Samus whispered as she stepped around the corpse. Jumping up into the cave from where the Queen had crawled, she spied a small passageway that seemed to lead outside. Seeing as there was no other way for her to exit, Samus crawled through the small opening in the rock and maneuvered through the narrow passageway.

Pushing aside some rotted vines, Samus wrenched herself from the tiny crevasse and stumbled into the next room. The air was more humid here and a small shaft of sunlight shot through an opening in the cavernous ceiling. She looked through it and determined that the surface was not all that far off, maybe a few dozen meters at first glance.

She was feeling confident and full of life, ready to meet the new day head on when a soft rustling emitted behind her. Samus turned around slowly and spied a stagnant pool of water on the side of the small cavern, a grotto. In the middle of the shallow pool sat an ovular object about as tall as Samus' shin. It was a deep forest green and the surface of it was ridged and webbed, very much like the pattern a spider would make. Samus only had a fleeting second to guess what this object was when the surface of it suddenly cracked and opened up, revealing a slimy, translucent organism inside.

As the creature rose from the egg, Samus' arm cannon followed it path. Samus managed a tight gasp as she looked at the tiny infant Metroid, no bigger than the palm of her hand. It seemed to be struggling to stay afloat and it made several soft, warbling cries as it flitted through the air. Samus was still aiming her weapon at the baby but her aim faltered more and more as the Metroid did not seem to be taking an interest in hurting her at all, rather coming closer and closer tenderly instead of aggressively.

In seconds, the baby shot forward and nuzzled its delicate body against Samus' visor. She blinked, caught off guard. She had never witnessed such an action from a Metroid before. She had certainly been on their bad side a couple of times and recalled the painful stinging sensation as they tried to suck her life force out as they clamped their mandibles upon her but this sensation was nothing like that. This one seemed like it had no inclination for such violence, but that was quickly proven wrong when the baby suddenly made a noise and shot down to grasp a hornoad in its mandibles, quickly devouring upon its essence as Samus watched in horror.

Another fresh corpse adorning the room, the infant finished its feasting and dropped the body to rise up to gently hover around Samus' head again, chittering happily. Now that she was no longer aiming at it, Samus raised her hand to see if she could touch the thing without any repercussions. The baby saw the movement and quickly melded into Samus' palm, rubbing its body along the smooth metal of the suit.

"An…imprint?" Samus wondered out loud. Surely this sort of behavior was omnipresent in many animals, so why wouldn't it be so for Metroids? Maybe because that she was the very first being this Metroid saw, would it be so far-fetched to surmise that it now thought of her as its parent? Was that why it did not attack her?

_It doesn't matter_, her subconscious told herself. _You are going to have to be rid of it all the same. You were hired to kill every single Metroid on this planet. Might as well complete that mission right now._

_Yeah_, she now argued. _But I technically did accomplish that already. This infant, I don't know…it could be different._

_How so? How could a killing machine such as this be any different?_

_Because it's not attacking me, that's why. Since this one is docile and we know that Metroids carry astounding power, it would be more valuable to capture this thing instead of kill it._

_Capture? My, my, Samus. That's a bit daft of you. Do you really think that this Metroid is worth more to you alive than dead?_

"I do," she said aloud as she quashed her mental argumentative half while the Metroid continued to persist in nuzzling her. "I was meant to inherit the Metroids as part of the Chozo's will. They entrusted them to me and I know that they can be used for good if we present the right conditions."

Withdrawing a clear glass cylinder from a slot on her back, she held it up and gently eased the infant Metroid into it. Once she sealed it, the tiny Metroid quivered, as if it was anxious to be separated from its "mother."

"Don't be too sad," Samus spoke quietly as she held the cylinder up to the light. "You might be our hope for the future, little one. With you, I might be able to redeem the Chozo for your corruption. Together, we might be able to finally save this galaxy."

* * *

Thirty-six hours later – Ceres Space Colony

The space station looked like a segmented cylinder that hovered at the edge of the second asteroid belt that orbited the star Cygnus X-3. Actually, it was more like a lengthened donut as the center circular portion was empty so that the station could rotate in place to simulate the effects of gravity among the inhabitants. This is where the main docks were also located and where Samus quickly guided her burnt orange ship into after she had been granted clearance to land.

The ship was an older model that she had been loaned from the Federation when she had discharged herself. The HUNTER-II was a lightly armed gunboat but it was sturdy and perfect for just the type of work that suited her as a bounty hunter. Not that she would be suited for anything else, there were little occupations that matched the lifestyle of what an ex-Star Tracker would call familiar. At least this one paid the bills.

The hatch that connected the main hallway to the ship docks buzzed open and the armored Samus walked towards the security checkpoint after stretching her back out. She detested sitting inside a cockpit for very long and always relished any time to move about freely.

The cylinder containing the baby Metroid was once again strapped to a slot on the small of her back, and in her left hand, she clutched the neck of a handcuffed Zygrtarian. She approached the two security guards with her captive in tow, now aware of the one-way pane of glass that spread the length of the hallway. She briefly considered nodding to the rest of the security team that was more than likely observing her from beyond that pane of glass but quashed the thought, focusing her mind on the present, the _obvious_ present.

"Identification, please," one of the helmeted troopers ordered as he clutched his gun, more worried at the look of the purple alien being painfully transported in Samus' hard grip rather than the warrior herself.

There was a data port to Samus' right and she inserted her arm cannon into it. The slot accepted the input and drew the necessary bio-readings from the sensor chips embedded in the Power Suit's FOF tags. Immediately, Samus' image appeared on the monitor for the guards to peruse, confirming her identification.

"Samus Aran," she spoke with confidence into the voice ID grill. "I'm here to give my after-mission report from SR-388. General Malkovich is expecting me." She gave her prisoner a light but painful shake. "Also transporting bounty number XF-2100 with the intent to process claims."

The Zygrtarian snarled but Samus silenced him by painfully squeezing his spine. Glowering, she fixated the alien with a firm stare until it meekly backed down. He had been one of the easier bounties that Samus had been paid to acquire in the last few months. The Zygrtarian was the husband of a rising star in the Federation navy but when it appeared to him that his wife was caring more about her job than her marriage, he did not respond all that well to the news. He had set her ablaze in their own home and quickly ran but had no money to make it out of the system, having forgotten that all of his savings were in the name of his now deceased wife. The fool thought that he could blend in around the capital city of the system but his stagnation made Samus' hunt all the more easier. She only got an adrenaline rush out of the eventual chase while he eventually ended up with a broken leg.

Two more troopers came into the security corridor from a side wing and grabbed each of the Zygrtarian's arms. The purple skinned alien hobbled on his good leg, his other wrapped in a makeshift cast, and his yellow and black eyes oozed pure hatred but there was nothing he could do. The soldiers led him away, leaving Samus and the original guards alone in the checkpoint.

"You're cleared to proceed," one of the troopers said as he validated Samus' access on his monitor. Samus nodded and plucked the containment cylinder with the Metroid inside from her back and held it in front of her.

"I also have a sample of the bio-weapon that I was paid to extinguish," she explained to the uneasy soldiers. "Notify the head of the science team here so that I may hand it off to them."

"Have you taken the necessary security precautions?"

"It's _contained_," she emphasized, lifting the vessel for a better view. "It could also be beneficial to the war effort. Would you like to keep it in confinement and risk its expiration or would you like me to deliver this quickly so that a proper examination can proceed at once?"

The guards glanced at the other, clearly not liking their options. However, sensing that this decision was something far beyond their paygrade, they just waved Samus on through and went back to manning the checkpoint. Samus, to her credit, gave the guards a respectful nod and proceeded through the next hatch.

A yellow arrow blazed on the side walls with the words "Science Lab" beaming brightly above it. She followed the marked path as she headed down the industrial hallway. The space colony was not the most habitual looking place she had ever been to, as many of the walls were unfinished, allowing the wiring and piping to just jut out, creating obstacles for someone to bump themselves on easily. She edged past a few workers, noting their startled expression at her towering presence as she proceeded onto the individual lifts parked in the corner.

One uneventful trip down a few stories later and Samus stomped by a large window on the side of the next hallway, milky light washing from the room beyond. Looking inside, she could see three individuals standing in the reception area, milling about in the center of the room as they conversed. She recognized two of them and was unable to keep a tiny smile from appearing as she ducked into the room, way taller than two of the men.

"Samus!" Mauk beamed as he turned away from the group. "It has been too long, my friend."

"Likewise, Commander Mauk," she laughed as she made her way over. "Much longer than I initially anticipated."

"Just Mauk, to you, Samus," Mauk grinned cheekily. "You don't need to call me by my rank, you know. You used to be my superior once."

"Once," she conceded. "But not anymore." She now straightened as she appraised the stoic man in dress blues directly across from her. "General."

"Samus," Malkovich nodded. He gestured to the other man in the group, an elderly man in a lab coat that was almost two heads shorter than Samus. He had a white beard and medium length hair who clearly had the air of a scientist. "This is Dr. Simmons," Malkovich introduced. "He's the head of the science department on Ceres."

"Just the man I was looking for," Samus said as she handed him the cylinder with the Metroid. All eyes tracked the tiny creature as the frail man's hands firmly grasped the object and hefted it, the transaction complete. Within the glass, the baby squirmed and beat its body against its prison, trying to speed itself in Samus' direction. Despite the notion that she was making a mistake, she tore her eyes away from the Metroid as she continued to speak to the doctor. "I'm sure you are aware of the significance of this creature. This is the last known specimen of Metroid in the galaxy, Dr. Simmons, a creature that, for all intents and purposes is considered extinct to the galaxy. Knowing how dangerous this thing could be if it were to come into the wrong hands, I trust that you will treat it with the utmost of care?"

"Absolutely," the doctor said, entranced at the gelatinous alien floating within the container. "It is such an utterly fascinating species." He shifted the container to his right arm and held out his left hand for a shake, which Samus accepted. "You've done a remarkable thing here, Samus. We will maintain strict caution when handling this Metroid. You have my word."

"Thank you, doctor," Samus granted as the little man sped on into the lab with his prize in tow. She watched from the wing as the scientists in the lab all began to drop whatever projects they were working on so that they could crowd around their newest specimen. Samus walked closer to the window and stared directly at the infant, but noticed that despite all the attention being lauded on it from all directions, the infant was still looking directly at _her_.

"So," Malkovich cleared his throat behind Samus, shaking her from her thoughts. "I noticed that, along with the Metroid, you had some additional baggage that you cleared at the security checkpoint."

She glanced at the general, noting that Mauk had departed to give them some privacy. Still behind her visor, she resumed looking at the infant, watching the scientists transfer it to a larger tube situated in the center of the lab. "Yes," she said in a distracted manner. "That. He was the bounty I was pursuing at the time when you notified me about the SR-388 job. If I recall correctly, you were very insistent about completing _that_ job immediately so I towed him along for the ride. Never got the opportunity to drop him off at any other Federation outpost beforehand."

"So…you just left the prisoner in your ship while you were off hunting these Metroids?"

"I left him an ample supply of nourishment," she defended, her helmet tilting fractionally in the general's direction. "It was probably more than he deserved after what that Zygrtarian did to his wife, though."

"Yes, terrible tragedy, that." Malkovich removed his hat respectfully. "Well, I can't fault you for acting accordingly. But, what I'm interested to know is why you thought bringing a Metroid here was a good idea, _especially_ when you had been tasked to destroy them all on SR-388, not let one live."

"I _did_ destroy them all on SR-388," she said forcefully. "Including their queen. There are no Metroids left on that planet for the Space Pirates to plunder." She gestured to the interior of the lab. "That one there is the last of its kind."

"And you wanted to preserve it instead of kill it?"

"It didn't attack me, Adam!" she shot back. "It thought I was its mother! I couldn't just kill it in cold blood right at that moment. That last Metroid was mine to do with and I thought that it would do us some good if we were to take it for ourselves, perhaps study it."

"_Yours?_" Malkovich scoffed. "And what exactly do you think gives you the right to dictate their existence over the will of the Federation?"

"It was my right that was given to me by the _Chozo_!" she stepped forward menacingly, but Malkovich did not back down. "The Metroids were entrusted to me so that I could oversee them! They created the Metroids with the purpose of saving us, this galaxy, and they were not meant to be indiscriminate killers! I trust whatever plan the Chozo once had I'm willing to take that risk by not destroying them so that the full potential of the Metroids can be understood. That alone is more precious to me than the orders of the Federation, _Adam_."

Malkovich sighed and scratched the back of his neck. He looked more uncomfortable than ever as he solemnly glanced at the Metroid. "I wish you _had_ destroyed it, Samus," he said softly. "While the Metroids may possess extraordinary abilities, don't you think that others would want to exploit them sooner or later? The Space Pirates will still try to pursue them for their own nefarious needs or a new threat could arise even closer to home. The weapons manufacturers that constantly strive for new innovations will want this technology for themselves, Samus, and this could be too much power for anyone to control."

"But _I_ can control them," Samus glared. "They only need a chance, Adam. All they need is a chance."

"The matter is out of my hands anyway," Malkovich grimaced as he adjusted his cap. "I cannot reverse your decision, Samus, so you must live with the consequences." He made a motion to leave the reception wing and Samus followed, ducking so that she cleared the threshold back out into the dark hallway. "I'm scheduled to give a report to the new chairman of the Federation at the capital in a few days of your mission, Samus. I'm expecting you to be there to give your own firsthand account."

"Fine," she said as she evaded a stack of sheet metal as she stepped across a narrow walkway. "I'll be there."

"It will take place immediately after the inauguration ceremony so you better be prepared to back up your actions carefully and thoughtfully. From what I've been told, the chairman is most anxious to meet you as he has been monitoring many of your exploits. I'm expecting you to be on your best behavior this time."

"Oh, _come on_, Adam," Samus groaned. "You seriously cannot be thinking of-"

"I certainly am," Malkovich replied with not a trace of humor in his voice. "I still remember vividly that the _last_ time you were in a room with a politician, you threatened to break his jaw while you were pointing a _gun_ at his face. Every time you've gotten in a confrontation with someone, Samus, you are quick to anger and lash out a lot at anyone in the vicinity. I'd say that any concerns I have are well warranted."

"He was only a minister of transport!" Samus protested incredulously as she stepped onto the lift. "And I only wanted to scare him! Besides, he was being a smart-ass to begin with."

"That's not helping!" Malkovich called angrily as Samus disappeared up the elevator shaft.

* * *

The trip to Daiban took a brisk sixteen hours and Samus used the time to take a quick nap, even though she was still in her armor. She relished the silence in space, something that had been missing the last time she flew as the Zygrtarian in the prison hold had spent the entire voyage either sobbing his eyes out or cursing her in multiple languages. Now that she finally had peace and quiet, she quickly seized this chance to get some shut eye.

Miraculously, she managed to sleep for ten hours and woke up fully rested, a first in weeks. The autopilot was doing all of the work and she just let the ship glide on it after it broke out of the hyperjump, revealing the endless expanse of cities sprawling on the capital world of Daiban. The automatic handshake protocols began to do their work and the autopilot soon corrected the course for Samus' house, located at the edge of a sprawling park on the largest continent.

The lucrative bounties had paid for the property, money well spent in Samus' opinion. The house was a modern two-story, nothing so outrageous in terms of architectural originality. It was situated a ways away from any other homes, the isolation suiting her just fine. Samus' backyard opened up onto the forested expanse that had been artificially uprooted from some fringe world and brought here to give off the appearance of eco-mentalism. She hardly ventured outside in the backyard anymore, or looked out the windows for that matter. Samus just did not feel safe being all exposed with a bunch of skyscrapers towering over her. Too many blind spots for her to cover.

Her ship automatically glided into the garage of the house and touched down inside. Samus had already clambered out even before the ship had landed and jumped off to land with a thud on the pristine floor. As the engines began to die down, Samus focused her mind and hardly noticed the light that enveloped her.

Once her Power Suit had finally dissipated, Samus stood in the middle of her garage, her body now free from the snugness of the Chozo armor. Her ponytail bobbed, containing her long, blond hair as it flowed behind her. The two locks of hair that had characteristically fallen over her face had gotten longer and over the years Samus had given up trying to tie them in place.

She was garbed in a skintight blue suit underneath all that protection, a more form-fitting and comfortable article of clothing that gave her more maneuverability while wearing her Power Suit. It was something she had affectionately dubbed the 'Zero Suit' as it offered relatively no protection from fire, bullets, acid, or heights. As it was, the Zero Suit was quite snug, but definitely better to wear than those damned army regulation uniforms underneath. The entire thing was made out of a synthetic polymer and it was separated into sections to allow for greater flexibility. Pink symbols flared brightly from her back and chest, communication points that allowed for connectivity to her Power Suit at all times. Faint trails of wires were embedded within the Zero Suit, emulating the look of veins underneath skin as they wrapped around the suit and Samus' body.

Rubbing at her face, Samus caught her own gaze in the mirror across the workbench. Her features had only gotten more angular across the last ten years. Her soft blue eyes now contained a cold stare and her mouth was a hard line. Tough muscle rippled across her skin, giving her a powerful and sturdy look. Every solitary feature on Samus was as tightly wound as a drum, a testament to the wonders of humankind, her Chozo genes notwithstanding. Samus was very much a beautiful woman, but her looks were only secondary in her own eyes. Still, there was something about her own reflection that did not sit well from her and she turned away, brushing at her hair in frustration, a tic that had developed over the years.

She checked the chronometer on the wall and found that she still had a few hours to go before she had to attend the inauguration ceremony. Taking her hair out of its band and letting it rumple messily behind her, she walked up the stairs to the second floor, straight to her room. She grabbed a set of clothes from her dresser and took them into the adjacent bathroom and shut the door, whereupon she promptly turned on the shower, creating a hissing noise as the water hit the porcelain tub.

Forty-five minutes later, Samus walked out of the steam-saturated bathroom, her damp hair tied up in a ponytail again. She had donned a simple white tank top that revealed a sliver of her midriff and a pair of black combat pants with a belt tying them around her waist. She padded barefoot over to her bed and slipped on a pair of socks followed by a pair of polished black combat boots.

Whereas civilians would normally find casual clothing a bit less uptight, the reality of the matter was that Samus had very little in terms of clothing that could be remotely considered casual. With the enormous side pockets of her pants, her huge boots made for stomping, and the slim tank top that revealed her muscular arms, Samus was more dressed for boot camp rather than a leisurely stroll in the city. But Samus did not give a damn, and these were the only civvies she had so the chairman would have to forgive her if she did not show up to the ceremony in a flowing white coat and an elaborate sunhat.

Samus plucked a small blue windbreaker from her closet and quickly threw it around her. She kept it unzipped, preferring to let herself be aired from the wind. She checked the time again and found that she needed to leave quite soon. There was still the sensation that she was missing something but she quickly remembered that final part just as she was headed out the door.

She bolted back into her bedroom and threw aside the pillow on her bed. Gently chastising herself for being so foolish to almost leave it behind, Samus strapped the combat pistol to her side after checking that its batteries were still charged. Satisfied, she patted her sidearm and finally walked back outside into the heat of the city.

Her hands in her pockets, Samus casually strolled to the nearest tram station, conveniently finding one about to depart right in front of her. She squeezed past the closing doors and into the cramped interior, which was packed with people about to join the throngs gathering near the assembly chambers. Samus edged through the crowd, leaving a wake behind her, and her very stern and focused presence seemed to demand a little more wiggle room from the people around her. Very subtly, Samus found herself enjoying just a tad more personal space than the rest of the sardines.

Ten minutes later, the overstuffed tram deposited its load out onto the Federation Mall, streaming its passengers out into the city once more. Samus threw up a hand to ward off the sun's glare momentarily and relished the slight breeze that wafted against her before following the crowd towards the trifecta of triangular buildings situated near the six reflecting pools that surrounded the main assembly tower. The majority of the people were congregating near the southernmost building so that was where Samus headed, walking at a faster gait due to her extremely long legs. Her height allowed her to crest the majority of the people so that she could pick out the best route through the gathering mob, politely scything through so that she could get closer to the podium. Her fingers brushed the butt of her pistol in reassurance, checking to see if it was still there.

The cluster tightened and Samus soon found herself unable to proceed further. She carefully walked over so that she was now lining the aisle that led straight to the podium that cut the crowd in two. Guards rimmed the corridor, making sure that the route was not impeded, but this gave Samus an unobstructed view of the event, not even bothering to regard the multiple screens televising it for others' convenience.

Samus scanned the stage and immediately spotted Chairman Vogl at the podium, about to make his remarks on his predecessor. To his right, she could see the statuesque form of Adam Malkovich, undoubtedly serving to reinforce Vogl's position of military force as some kind of symbolism. The general actually looked rather stiff, wary from the thousands of eyes scrutinizing him all over. Samus bit her lip as she smiled. This was the first time she had actually seen Adam visibly uncomfortable.

To the soon to be ex-Chairman's left, a small crowd dressed in red uniforms teetered on small risers. Samus looked them over and recognized the dress code which indicated that these were students of the Daiban Military Academy. New entrants, most likely, judging by their visibly young age. They looked even more nervous than the general and all of the children were trying hard to put on a brave face in front of the entire galactic civilization as they knew it.

Samus was about to look away when she spied a shock of raven-hair from one of the students in the front row. She arced and eyebrow and blinked in recognition. A girl of about thirteen, adorned in the uniform of her peers, was shyly talking to her neighbor up on the riser, trying to make small talk to distract her from the ever looming pressure. She had changed a lot since Samus had seen her last, but it was that one look that told her everything that she needed to know.

"Damara…" she mused thoughtfully, a pleased smile working its way on her face, taking her out of her visibly sullen appearance. _Little Damara all grown up_, she thought pleasantly. _Now she's a cadet for the military academy. And the Space Pirates said she was 'useless'…hah!_

She was still reflecting by the time the new chairman strode out from the side entrance, flanked by his bodyguards, that Samus almost did not notice when the crowd politely silenced, awaiting to hear the words of what were about to be spoken today.

* * *

The open roars of the populace did not faze Keaton in the slightest as he took his seat behind Vogl, for he had been used to the rabble in congress for years now that it seemed he was permanently deafened. In mere minutes, though, all of the adoration and attention would be on him. Soon, he would have the entire ear of the galaxy instead of the lunkhead beginning to speak his final hurrah.

It had not been easy trying to get through these last ten years of politicking. Keaton swore that he had aged forty years from all of the stress placed upon him and knew that things were probably not going to lighten up any time soon. At this rate, he should have had multiple heart attacks by now if he had not paid for all of that cardiovascular therapy to keep himself fighting fit. The election years were always taxing and the body enhancements merely delayed him perishing before he could take office.

He was dressed in a conservative black coat that was rapidly approaching the fashion sensibilities of a cloak. The material completely covered his legs and wisped around the floor and the neck of the article rose up high behind Keaton's neck. His choice in clothing gave Keaton that more intimidating edge that he had always been seeking, to combat his fragile appearance which was the one quality about himself that he had always been disappointed in.

The fall of the Chozo did not immediately raise Keaton's star once the news hit Daiban. Of course, Vogl had used the incident on Zebes to proclaim a need for greater military force, a decision that even Keaton had supported, oddly enough. However, despite the move from Vogl, a chain reaction had already begun that would effectively call him and his entire policy into question – ten years too late in Keaton's opinion.

Maybe that was because everyone was still too timid when it came time for Vogl's shot at a third five-year term. They were now in a war and that gave them the tendency to look upon their leaders with more sympathetic eyes. But once those five years had passed and nothing had come to fruition, many congressmen began to get impatient, and that's when Keaton made his move.

Several people had known that Keaton had been good friends with the Chozo ambassador, Old Bird, and they began to use that anecdotal reference in his favor once he had announced his candidacy. This sort of promotion had not been organized by Keaton at all and he was therefore quite pleased when the story began to spread among the ranks, even if it was very slightly exploiting the memory of his friend. Ultimately it did not matter, the Chozo were no longer around and the idea that Keaton would have done something to prevent their disappearance quickly manifested into a movement in his favor. All he had to do was craft his points finely around the topic of war, endure a few debates, and eventually the public responded with their answer. When Keaton learned of his victory, though, he did not celebrate. Instead, he sat down and thought for hours on end, knowing that the real work would begin soon.

_If only Vogl would allow me to actually speak_, Keaton now thought in disbelief. The chairman was still droning on about his policies, like a child that was refusing to lend a toy even though he was required to share. The bluster was so random and unnecessary that Keaton entertained the idea of simply rising up and shoving Vogl off the steps. That, of course, would never do so he simply fought to keep his expression level while he mentally ticked off the seconds. Surely this long-winded speech was bound to end soon.

"…and I do believe that, while some of my decisions might not have settled well with others," Vogl announced, prompting a vicious round of eye-rolling from Keaton, "I firmly believe that I performed my duties to the best of my ability. But, as I stand before you today, I now wish to introduce to you the man who will carry out the laws of the galaxy, forging his own decisions in the name to protect this good Federation, who will see us through these trying times of war, and who will preside over this grand assembly from hence forth. It is my pleasure to open for this great man today. All of you, join me in welcoming _Chairman Keaton!_"

_Finally_. Keaton stood from his seat as the crowd now roared his name, chanting it over and over again. Allowing a tiny smile, Keaton gave a subtle nod to the group, now enjoying the effect his own name had on him as it was repeated by thousands. He walked to the podium where Vogl had stepped aside, cradling a massive book in his hands: the Federation Charter.

As Vogl held the book out for Keaton to take, he leaned down and spoke so that only they could hear it. "You know, Keaton, I have not forgotten what you said to me all those years ago. Do you think that I tore down the foundation, or built it back up?"

Keaton considered the question as both men grasped a corner of the book. He was intrigued that Vogl had remembered his words from so long ago and had his answer almost immediately. "I believe, Vogl, that what had to happen, had to happen. The foundation was _always_ in jeopardy, it seems."

That was partially a lie but Vogl accepted it as a reasonable answer. Relinquishing his grip on the charter, he finally stepped aside to allow Keaton access to the podium. The enormous crowd roared their adoration again and he smiled, unable to help himself. The row of young cadets clapped enthusiastically next to him and he lingered on stage to hear his name being repeated a few more times before he cleared his throat to talk.

The first speech was always the most nerve-wracking.

* * *

As the chairman began to talk, Samus crossed her arms as she appraised every word out of Keaton's mouth. He made specific references to him being a servant, a shield, and a protector. Samus liked those words, they reflected the attitude of someone who had the interests of the bigger picture in mind, not just himself. Apparently he had been good friends with Old Bird so maybe the Chozo's many anecdotes might have rubbed off on the man. She just knew that she was liking the new chairman more and more.

She glanced over and saw Damara smiling happily on stage. Samus also felt glad at the girl's enthusiasm. In fact, she was staring at Damara more than the chairman that she almost failed to notice the small shift in the crowd across the empty corridor.

Samus dipped her head and frowned as she saw a figure in a trench coat gradually inch their way out of the crowd, but within the guarded perimeter. She eyed the person apprehensively and noticed more movement as four more similarly garbed beings trudged out, their features covered by hoods. Grimly, Samus also edged out and began to approach one of these new arrivals from the back, her hand cautiously floating over her pistol. Something just was not sitting right with her and she made sure to keep her distance, her breath coming out slowly and calmly.

The guards were still oblivious to the potential danger and the chairman was still talking up on the podium. Samus stepped softly as multiple signals in her head pointed towards a terrorist attack. She was about to lunge forward at the first cloaked form when she saw a pale hand peek out from underneath the long sleeve. Samus froze at the sight of the human hand but blinked as she spotted a tiny shimmer of light surrounding the hand, almost like it was extending into a longer appendage…almost like a _claw_.

"_Down!_" Samus bellowed as she shot towards the figure, her hand slamming down to impact on the outstretched arm. As her forearm impacted with the limb, a brief burst of static flared followed by a howl as the person's hood was knocked back. The shadowy shapes coalesced and suddenly vanished as the urban camouflage unit failed from the blow, revealing the yowling maw of a Space Pirate underneath all the clothing.

Shrieks erupted from the crowd as the majority of them started to flee at the sight of the Pirates. The four other cloaked Pirates stood where they were, too stunned and confused to even move. The guards lining the corridor were also shocked, as was the chairman, who stood at the podium with his mouth agape. Malkovich was by his side in a heartbeat, already leading Keaton away while he momentarily locked eyes with Samus in acknowledgement.

Grunting, Samus grabbed for one of the Pirate's arms in front of her and brutally twisted it. Bone popped from underneath the carapace and the alien shrieked. Samus then swung with her fist and caved in the Pirate's skull with an enormous blow, dropping it as greenish blood sprayed onto her white tank top, staining it. She drew her pistol and put two rounds in its chest to be sure, the noise a _ka-THUMP, ka-THUMP_!

By now, the other four Pirates had discarded their elaborate disguises and three of them made to attack her while the other one headed for Keaton. The first Pirate hissed and fired twin bolts from his claws but Samus easily vaulted over the beams which impacted safely into some trimmed bushes, setting them ablaze. Her pistol was already aimed by then and she lined up the sights for only a second before she loosed a bullet that took the Pirate's head off. Brains splattered the carpeted corridor and Samus' hair finished whipping in her face, the warm air now more evident than ever.

There was a crackling sound and Samus shot her head back just in time for a ragged bolt of plasma to barely skin by her, igniting a few strands of her blond hair as it grazed through the air. Furious, Samus lifted her pistol up and shot the Pirate in one of its hands, the limb now useless.

Clenching her teeth, she rose to her feet and ran at the Pirate with all the speed she could muster. Her hair locks stung at her face and her windbreaker flapped behind her as she reached thirty miles an hour in four seconds. Panicking, the alien stood helpless as it watched the human rush toward it and didn't even react as Samus leaped and kicked the Pirate hard in the chest with her heavy boots, breaking all of its ribs and pushing it through the glass barrier that lined the concrete walkway. Panes of glass crumpled around the Pirate as it fell through the air, slicing through its tough skin and causing the broken alien to bleed out onto the grass below.

Samus had little time to catch her breath because there was a bloodcurdling scream and she suddenly found a weight on her back, a Pirate having jumped onto her to tear into her flesh. Samus roared and pushed the arms of the Pirate aside before they could so much as scratch her. Tightening her limbs, she bent her knees and jumped in the air only to fall flat on her back, smashing the Pirate against the pavement. The alien cried out as its wind was knocked out of it, allowing Samus to roll out of its grip.

Freed, Samus twirled the pistol in her hand and savagely brought the butt of the gun down on the Pirate's neck, opening up a gash. The Pirate gagged and its limbs twitched feebly for a second before Samus rotated the gun again so that she could shoot the alien in the side of the head, creating a dinner-plate sized hole on the opposite side of its skull. Now coated in even more Pirate blood, Samus rolled so that she could get on her feet running, her eyes rapidly searching for her next target.

The last Pirate was now fending off the guards near the podium as they closed in to protect the chairman. The Pirate hissed as it evaded multiple shots in its direction, annoyed that its mission to take the chairman was constantly impeded by its enemies. It was so focused on its mission that it didn't notice Samus sprinting up behind him, or that its comrades were bleeding on the ground, one of them now headless.

Midway through her charge, Samus fired again and the left kneecap of the Space Pirate exploded outward, the bullet shattering the bone. With a pained scream, the Pirate dropped to its good knee but was hoisted up again as Samus snaked her arm around its neck. She jammed the muzzle of her pistol against the alien's back and it had barely enough time to register what was going on before an infuriated Samus fired her gun several times, punching several holes through the carapace on its chest, spewing blood and guts as the Pirate found its cardiovascular system suddenly shredded. As fluids began to leak out of its mouth, Samus gripped the jaw of the Pirate and rotated her arm very quickly, snapping its neck for good measure.

As the dead bodies of the Pirates lay around her, Samus stood alone in the empty corridor, wiping her mouth as more guards closed in to contain the situation. She listened to the quiet for a few seconds before she strapped her pistol to her belt again. Using her tank top, Samus dabbed a bit at the green blood beginning to encrust her forehead, catching the glances of shock from Keaton and approval from Adam. She flickered over them for a second before she caught the eye of Damara, who had been frozen in her position the entire time. Their gazes locked and Damara's mouth seemed to be mouthing words in disbelief, no sound escaping her. Samus shot her an assured smile, stepping forward to talk to her, but a flicker from a nearby rooftop caught her eye at the last moment.

Malkovich had seen it too and bodily yanked Keaton aside just in time to avoid the bright red line that cut effortlessly through the spot the chairman had just occupied, the report from the sniper barely sounding afterward. But, because of the low angle, the shot kept traveling in its direction toward the riser – toward Damara, even after it had missed the target. Samus had been moving even before she knew the sniper had fired and dived protectively, feeling a warm glow about her as a blistering heat began to form at her back.

With a cry of pain, Samus crumpled on the stage, her Power Suit finishing its formation around her. "_No!_" Damara screamed just inches away and ran towards the fallen woman. Flinching as Malkovich and the rest of the guards began to open fire on the nearby rooftops, the child dropped down and pulled at the limbs of the armored warrior. She grunted as she tried to lift Samus up, but she was too heavy and she was too weak.

"Get up!" Damara pleaded. "Please get up!"

Yanking on Samus' hand, Damara was unaware of the tears flowing down her face. She screamed for help and continued to pull. It seemed like she had been doing this for hours until the large hand gently wrapped its fingers around her tiny limb. Shocked, Damara gaped as Samus rose to her feet, able to see the hard eyes through the blue visor soften for just a moment.

"Hello Damara," the voice she had remembered for all these years said.

"Hello…_Samus_," Damara beamed, her tears already starting to dry.

Samus smiled, wincing as her back ached. That damn Pirate got a lucky shot just when her suit had almost finished its materialization. The bolt had taken away fifty units of energy and given her a burn, from what she could feel. Moving Damara behind her protectively, Samus turned around, a golden warrior arisen, and looked straight at the spot where the Pirate sniper had situated itself, witnessing a stunned expression on its face at the fact that the person he just shot was still alive.

With a tight grin, Samus merely raised her arm cannon and loosed a singular shot. The Pirate at the top of the nearby building disappeared in a cloud of smoke, the shot disintegrating most of his body at direct contact. The danger passed, Samus lowered her weapon and turned back to the child, who barely rose to her breastbone while she was in her armor.

Samus quickly disengaged her armor so that Damara could see her expression up close and proper. Ignoring the yells from the other people in the vicinity, Samus dropped down to a knee so that she and Damara would be able to speak eye to eye.

"When I said we were never going to stop being friends, Damara," Samus said after brushing her messy blond hair out of her eyes, "I meant it."

Damara nodded once before she hugged Samus hard, her arms barely reaching around the woman, bloody clothes and all. She soon pulled back, her eyes watering again. "I'm really glad that I met you, Samus," she mumbled, thick with tears.

Hugging the shell-shocked Damara, Samus saw Malkovich and Keaton out of the corner of her eye give her a respectful nod before departing back into the safety of the building. She smiled and held Damara some more amongst the shambles of the inauguration, keeping the child safe from any unwanted attention.

Patting the young lady on the back of her head, Samus was surprised to feel a wrenching emotion start to arise from within but she stomped it down before it had a chance to manifest itself. Instead, she gazed warmly at Damara and led her to the serene reflecting pool at the edge of the assembly mall, away from the quickly regrouping press and curious bystanders. They ducked behind some bushes and approached a small amphitheater, located right next to a memorial fountain in the middle of the park.

"Well," Samus said as she now seemed to take in her now disheveled look, absentmindedly playing with the edge of her ruined tank top. "We have a lot to catch up on, don't we, Damara?"

"Yes," the girl said as she took a seat upon the marble steps, her eyes hungry. "We certainly do."

* * *

_**A/N: Aha! I'm guessing that you now know where I'm taking this plot. Make no mistake, these changes were deliberate decisions by me so that I might give the story a sense of finality. Also, it kind of makes sense to wrap the storylines from concurrent games into one so that the narrative can be more developed. Hopefully straying from the source material like this won't upset people too much...hopefully.**_

_**But damn, this took a long time for me to write. I knew I was adding more material but I never guessed it would amount to this much.**_

_**Inspiration for Samus' casual wear was taken from the piece "Samus Aran - Casual Clothing" by Usomnus on DeviantArt, which is a very cool and realistic take on what Samus would wear if she was going for a stroll (it also doesn't sexualize her - and it's a sad, sad day when I have to specify something like that).**_

_**Actually, apart from one scene in the beginning, I didn't adapt anything from the manga in this chapter. Most of the passages were original content, and the ones that did make the cut were so heavily altered that they resemble nothing from the manga that they were adapted from.**_

_**An example would be the inauguration scene. In the manga, Keaton is introduced a bit earlier in the chapter but that sort of encounter did not really work after I had veered the story line, so I had to cut that part out. Also, when it came time for the action scene, there were no Space Pirate forces attacking the chairman. Rather, Damara had offered Keaton a bouquet of flowers for his election and the Space Pirates had (somehow) managed to swap them with a deadly creature that proceeded to attack the chairman, which Samus then destroyed while protecting Keaton and Damara.**_

_**In my opinion, that was just stupid. That scene was just a series of implausibilities ranging from Samus' dressy clothing (which I already mocked), to the fact that Damara should have been imprisoned for bringing a dangerous creature in contact with Keaton (despite her innocence), and the fact that Samus had to attack several guards in order to kill the creature, which also should have landed her in jail for assault at the very least. **_

_**Anyway, those are just my two cents...but since I'm also writing the damn thing they happen to be two very important cents. We're approaching the final act of the story now, about five more chapters left!**_

_**Let me know what you think!**_


	14. Chapter 14: Confidence

Ensign Logan yawned as he propped his feet up on the control console in front of him. For the tenth time in two minutes, he glanced at the chronometer again and for the tenth time he groaned in frustration as his shift seemed no closer to ending than before. Bored, he took a pen out of his pocket and began spinning it between his fingers, looking for any way possible to kill time.

The ship that Logan was currently serving on, the GFS _Seychelles_, was a small cruiser parked in the middle of an asteroid belt as one of the Federation's multiple guardians of its borders. Out at the very edge of the Orion Spur, Logan was responsible for monitoring every single solitary scrap of debris that had the audacity to float from one part of space to their technically controlled section. Of course, with all of the objects pinging on the radar happening to be bits of stray rock from the belt, Logan had quickly found that his job was a lot more trouble than it was worth.

He glanced behind him so that he could confirm that the captain was not making any of his rounds. Logan had already been caught once for napping on the job and another slip in attention could definitely result in him pulling double duty or having to scrub the floors. As riveting as this job was, Logan could think of worse fates for himself at the moment.

Switching the pen to his other hand, Logan aimlessly began tapping away at his console, trying to do the bare minimum of multitasking between goofing off and performing his job. Glazed eyes glanced over the screen as the _Seychelles'_ computer brought up object after object that it had scanned and was waiting for a confirmation from Logan. He checked off every single one without so much as a second thought, now beginning to harken back to a nice dream that he had the other night. He yawned again, his attention span slowly waning to the point that he almost missed the next object he was about to clear before he automatically performed a double-take.

"_Hello_…" he murmured to himself as he now sat upright, leaning into his monitor.

The object currently being projected on the screen was certainly not an asteroid or anything that resembled a spare bit of space junk. The lines were too angular, the shape too streamlined, that it could not be anything else except a ship, and a big one at that.

Frowning, Logan opened up his command prompt and cross-referenced any ship movements in the area while simultaneously trying to retrieve the information from the visitor in front of him. According to the laser scanners, the unknown ship was only a couple thousand miles away, hidden in the blackness, but out there nonetheless.

His schedule pinged back a negative contact, no designated movements in Federation vessels to be reported in the area. At the same time, the readout from the ship popped onto a side window, a schematic floating in mid-air. All of the specifications were unknown and the body contours were unlike anything currently in fabrication by any of the Federation sponsored ship makers. That only meant one thing in this regard.

"_Space Pirates_," Logan cursed as he buzzed his captain to get up here. He was not worried about the aliens locating his shuttle, it was carefully hidden too deep in the asteroid field for any conventional sensors to locate them. Although, despite this moment of adrenaline, Logan was pleased at the opportunity to show his captain that he was actually capable of doing his job, itself a blessing in disguise. Maybe now the man would go easier on him now that he successfully identified a rogue vessel. Now _that_ was a good dream to have.

The _Seychelles_ continued to monitor the Space Pirate vessel as it slowly moved past the asteroids, merely skirting the border with Federation space as it zoomed on through the inky blackness. The unknown ship continued to propel itself along until it made an unexpected jump back into its own territory. The crew of the _Seychelles_ relaxed at the sight and immediately began preparing their knowledge of the encounter to their superiors over at the capital, as per standard policy.

Unfortunately, while the _Seychelles_ had been paying close attention to that ship, they had failed to notice the much larger vessel that had scampered from behind a rogue moon and casually floated past the asteroid belt. Columns of fire streaming from its wings, the Space Pirate warship undoubtedly congratulated themselves on their successful ruse and quickly powered their hyperdrive jets before the Federation got wise to the maneuver and detected them.

Unseen, the Space Pirates screamed freely into Federation territory.

* * *

Daiban

The guards escorting Samus stopped in front of the wooden double doors, snapping to attention as they flanked the golden crest of the Galactic Federation imprinted on the stone floor. One of the men politely held the door open for her and she walked through after giving him a respectful nod.

Her clothes, especially the white tank top, were effectively ruined from the tussle outside but Samus at least had the chance to wipe off the Space Pirate blood on her face beforehand. Now she looked reasonably presentable instead of looking like she had just wandered through a slaughterhouse. Still, her attire was on the edge in terms of appropriateness, but since she had no spare shirts on hand right now and that she refused to wear any military grade clothing here, Samus was officially out of luck.

Consciously, she zipped up her windbreaker, hiding the worst of the damage. As she entered the auditorium, she immediately spotted Malkovich giving her a sarcastic grin, most likely in response to her stubbornness demonstrated outside just an hour ago. She rolled her eyes playfully, already thinking nothing of it.

Someone hopped down from the nearby risers next to her and she turned in response. Samus quickly warmed but was still surprised when the thin man gave her a fast hug followed by a cheeky smile.

"You're on this planet for not even a day and _already_ you find trouble?" Kreatz laughed.

"And _you're_ acting like I shouldn't be used to this by now," Samus shrugged, playfully shoving Kreatz. "Trouble always seems to find _me_ no matter what."

"_Of course_," Kreatz said magnanimously with an exaggerated gesture. "How silly of me to forget."

Kreatz had hardly grown taller since the last time Samus had seen him. He still maintained that same youthful energy of ten years ago, but there was a hint of age creeping up on him, a tiny bit of maturity peeking its head out. Kreatz's once shaggy hair was now straight and spiked on his head, revealing more of his face and giving him a cleaner look. He was in the casual uniform on an officer, the rank of a lieutenant apparent from the singular bar on his arms. Samus lifted her head up and saw Chief Hardy waving her over, Chairman Keaton at his side, trying to tear her away from reminiscing with Kreatz.

"Lieutenant!" Hardy called, visibly straining not to shout in the presence of the chairman. "Quit taking up Samus' time, someone over here wants to speak with her and he's got more authority than you!"

"Okay, Chief Sunshine!" Kreatz mockingly saluted with a wink. "I'd like to think that I'm the real reason he went bald," he whispered to Samus.

"Can it, wiseass," Hardy grumbled as he tugged at his jacket. Indeed, Hardy's hair had lost the futile battle a while back and the chief now had a completely shining head instead of the disastrous cut. He still managed to retain his big, bushy moustache, his most defining feature. He now scratched at it as Samus made her way over, her expression somewhat bemused.

"Samus," Hardy introduced as he stepped aside to let Keaton forward. "This is Chairman Keaton. He's been most anxious to meet you."

"We've met before, Ms. Aran," the tall green alien grinned as he held out his hand. "Not as personal as this, of course, but it would be hard to forget that rather brilliant display you so demonstrated during the inauguration ceremony today."

Samus smiled sheepishly and accepted Keaton's hand, surprised by the politician's firm grip. Conversely, Keaton did not seem to bat an eye at Samus' undoubtedly superior grip and gave her a knowing look. Suddenly, Samus was not worried at all about having to become confrontational with this man, bloodstained shirt and all. Keaton seemed like a pragmatic and reasonable sort of person, the kind that fervently analyzes each situation before coming to a decision. Samus' good feeling about the chairman was only becoming more bolstered.

She scratched the back of her neck unconsciously under Keaton's stare. "Well, I hope you can understand that I was simply doing what I thought was necessary. I just didn't want the Pirates to get whatever pointed they wanted across to us."

"True," Keaton nodded. "But you're not officially part of the Federation, Samus. You're a freelancer and the fact that you stood up to the Pirates like that, in public no less, has me intrigued. I'd wager that at least seven different cameras got angles of your brawling and have now posted your picture all around the galaxy by now."

Samus had not considered that and her face fell slightly at the notion of her actions being public for all to see. "_Oh_," she mumbled, crestfallen. "I didn't even think of that."

"I wouldn't worry about it too much," Keaton assured. "There are other things to worry about than having your face plastered all over the evening news. For what it's worth, you did a good job today, Samus. Just like you did a good job with your last mission, from what I've been told, in which the briefing will begin soon, Chief Hardy?"

"Ready as it's ever going to be," Hardy said as he grasped a remote control. "Everyone, if you'll please take your seats."

As Hardy remained standing to deliver his presentation, the other four people in the room gravitated to the risers in the back. Samus took the top one to herself, preferring to sit alone, her arms crossed as she reclined. The lights dimmed and the overhead projector warmed and quickly projected a dusty sphere in the center of the room.

"Okay," Hardy tugged at his collar as he gestured to the hologram of the planet. "As you all know, this is SR-388, the site of Operation Molossus. It has no official name as the Federation had never taken the time to properly study it before until now. SR-388 was initially discovered by the Chozo, you see, and from the data retrieved from planet Zebes, it appears that they used this planet to breed and cultivate a bio-weapon here for the purposes of creating an unbeatable army. The Chozo called them Metroids."

Samus shifted in her seat. She already knew this part, and surmised that everything about this so-called "briefing" was all going to be familiar to her. However, she had to concede that this was all a show for Keaton's benefit, as it was meant to get the chairman up to speed with the important operations of the Federation army. She just had to endure this and note the points made for future reference.

Now the chief initiated a video from the archives, showing camera footage from a landing party as a team touched down on the planet's surface. "Shortly after this data came to light, the planetary reclamation division insisted on sending an inspection team to survey the area and report activity of the Metroids." Helmet cam feeds were now being shown as heavily suited Federation troopers combed through a jungle, pushing aside random bits of wildlife as the blazing sun beat down on them. "We were aware of the energy siphoning capabilities of the Metroids, but we had no data on how they went about that process. Unfortunately," his face now went somber, "the science team learned that the hard way."

On the footage, a blur suddenly shot towards the camera and static flared upon the screen. Tinny screams crackled through the speakers and a brief glimpse of a Metroid clamping down on a soldier's head was shown. The human frantically grasped at the membranous alien as he tried to pull it off, but his hands kept slipping off of it. Hardy thankfully turned the grisly footage off and made a solemn face at the now pale chairman.

Keaton leaned forward, fighting to control his shaking hands. "Do we know why the Chozo decided to create such an indiscriminate killing machine? Was there some sort of point as to the overall purpose of such a monstrosity?"

"Samus?" Hardy glanced toward the back row, waiting for her input.

Samus sat up and Keaton turned around to face her. "The Chozo created the Metroids as a last-ditch resort in an effort to save the galaxy," she explained. "They were not meant to cause this much trouble but would be utilized as a safeguard. Their final gift to the galaxy, so to speak."

Keaton blinked and he rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "But then how did the Metroids get to be like this? What was the catalyst for this sort of aggressive behavior?"

"The details are a little vague, but I believe that Mother Brain, the artificial intelligence housed in Zebes, genetically tampered with the Metroids so that the Chozo's level of control was removed without their knowledge. I think that Mother Brain wanted the Metroids for herself so that _she_ might use them as a weapon against us."

Hardy, meanwhile, was starting to get into the stride of presenting as he paced around the room. "Regardless of the implications, we had to take action for our first round of casualties. After the science team dropped out of contact, we sent a second team, a squad of marines this time, to rescue the scientists and possibly capture a Metroid for further study. But, they too were consumed by the aliens." Hardy's expression was now grim as he changed the picture to a shot of a fleet hovering over SR-388. "So, based on our debacles, we determined that the Metroids were too dangerous to mount an extermination squad against them, or deploy any sort of landing party on the surface, and so we proceeded to initiate an orbital bombardment of the planet, thinking that the level of destruction would exterminate all Metroids on SR-388. We also initiated a planetary blockade so that we could make sure that if any Metroids had survived, they would not be able to escape off-world."

"Until a week ago," Malkovich added dryly.

"_Unfortunately_," Hardy nodded. "One of our patrol ships picked up a distress signal from a civilian mining rig near the star COROT-23. The boarded the vessel and found it purged of all life, and a dead Metroid inside."

Keaton's attention was now captivated by the presentation and Hardy gave a dramatic pause for effect. "Based on the vessel's logbook, they had somehow skirted our perimeter and landed on SR-388 without us noticing for the purpose of mining valuable minerals. They also happened to collect a Metroid in the process. Incredibly, the civilians managed to kill the Metroid but at the cost of their own lives. The rig was then sent to burn in the sun as a way to properly cleanse the vessel."

"I'd imagine that was the final straw?" Keaton asked, his face lined with curiosity.

"Precisely," Hardy said with a smile. "It was at that point that we, as in the leadership, knew that we could no longer leave the Metroids to live on that planet peacefully as their violent nature gravitated towards their expansion outside of their planet. And, rather worryingly, various camera feeds over time have detected that the Metroids are able to reproduce by mitosis after they have finished feeding. This implies that the Metroids can convert the energy from lifeforms into beta radiation, allowing for the ideal conditions for them to divide. And if the Space Pirates ever got their hands on them again…"

"Wait, _again?_" Keaton said, confused. "I was under the impression that the Space Pirates were _already_ in possession of the Metroids. After all, that was where the first example was created, right?"

"That is true," Samus said from the top floor, "but all of the Metroids on Zebes were destroyed." _By Gray Voice_, she remembered distantly with a pang. "And Mother Brain never had the complete formula on how to create more Metroids as the Chozo did most of the work. The Space Pirates have never had any Metroids for a while now."

"Therefore it would stand to reason that the Space Pirates would eventually mount an assault to steal them back," Hardy said as the holographic representation of SR-388 once again filled the room. "Therefore, we needed to confirm their destruction once and for all. So, we contacted Samus with the assignment after remotely tagging the remaining Metroids on the surface and entrusted her to carry out the mission. Is there anything you would like to add before I go on, Samus?"

"Yes," Samus said and she hopped down to the floor where she now stood in front of the projector. She shoved her hands in her pockets and eyed the people in the room for a few seconds. "I encountered the Metroids on SR-388 and found them all to be extremely resilient. However, I did find out that they are prone to concussive attacks, which means they break apart easily when presented to a physical force rather than pure energy beams. Also, the Metroids have the capacity to evolve into higher forms that make them more difficult to kill."

"Higher forms?" Hardy asked as he took notes. "What sort of higher forms? What did they look like?"

"Natural armor plating, a more distinguished head, and even legs depending on how far along they've grown. I can send you my visor feeds later. I managed to kill the Queen Metroid, which had the capability to lay eggs as another form of reproduction. That was the last official Metroid on the planet but before I could leave, a Metroid hatched in front of me and imprinted upon me as its parent. Instead of killing that one, I decided to take advantage of its docile nature and captured it with the intention of relinquishing it to someone who could understand the creature better than I could."

"Fascinating," Keaton mused as he watched the view from Samus' linked visor footage on the screen, witnessing the tiny little creature scurry around the air. "And what became of this infant Metroid?"

"It was transferred to a Federation station on the Ceres Space Colony," Malkovich answered in her stead. "Samus thought that the properties of the Metroid would be better suited for us to understand and control rather than exterminating them outright."

"And you think some good can come out of this mess?" Keaton made an exasperated gesture. "Do you think that this Metroid can actually be beneficial to us?"

"I hope so, chairman," Samus said confidently, glancing surreptitiously at Malkovich. "I don't believe that the Chozo would have pursued such a project otherwise."

"Nor do I," Keaton sighed and stared for a long time at Samus. "I was good friends with Old Bird, your guardian, Ms. Aran. He was one of my influential figures throughout my entire tenure in congress."

Samus nodded solemnly. "I know, chairman. I read your personal statement on the Chozo several years ago when they just vanished from the public eye."

"Did you, now?" Keaton now smiled sadly. "That was a long time ago. The point I'm trying to make is that, no matter the circumstances, no matter how many times I was disillusioned by the direction that the Federation was heading, Old Bird was never fazed. He always seemed to have a plan stuck up those long sleeves of his. If he was still around, I would rather he be chairman than me right now. He was always the wisest one on this planet, perhaps this galaxy."

"I can't recall him ever getting flustered, at least not when I was around him," Samus recalled with a nostalgic longing. She wondered where the wise Chozo was now. Maybe off with the other elders, perhaps? Did he get the opportunity to meet his friends again after leaving them on Zebes? She would just be satisfied with a missive of any sort, just something that reminded her that he was alive and well. She dearly missed Old Bird so.

Keaton gave a tired shrug. "Old Bird certainly was one of a kind. All of the Chozo were, for that matter. But, now they've left, and all that remains of their legacy is the last organism of a biological menace, a crazed artificial intelligence, and you." His face rapidly paled and he shook his hands. "Not that I'm intending any offense, mind you."

"None taken," Samus allowed.

"It's just that, with the final memory of the Chozo on the line, I think that we should be a little more prudent in handling their final projects. What I'm saying is that we should exercise caution with this last Metroid. I know Ceres is a safe haven, but it would probably be safer if we brought it here, to Daiban."

"Not directly to the planet's surface, I hope," Kreatz coughed.

"Of course not," Keaton clarified. "It should be kept in a station above the atmosphere but it can be more readily protected by our fleet and we won't have to worry about a raiding party striking at it when we least expect one. I've been reading some of the military reports in the recent weeks. The Space Pirates are growing bolder; they're skirting our borders, testing our limits. They will attack us eventually and we need to be prepared, but we have to make sure that we don't hand them the keys to a victory. If we want to survive the upcoming storm, we'd better take care in tying everything down so they don't blow away when the winds start to hit."

There was silence in the auditorium, not even a whisper from someone stirring. Malkovich merely shrugged and clapped his hands on his legs as he stood up, brushing his hair neatly back as he put his cap back on. "Seems like a reasonable request to me," he said mildly. "I can't really argue with the logic there. How about you, Samus?"

"I've got no problem with it," Samus conceded. "But, just to be safe, I volunteer to go and retrieve the Metroid from Ceres. If we want to conserve time as best as possible, then it would be best if I go on ahead since I can leave at any moment and will be able to bring the Metroid back here reasonably quickly."

Keaton seemed to consider her offer as he fiddled with the neck of his big coat. "General?"

"That's fine with me," Malkovich nodded. "It would take me a few hours to gain the clearance to take a ship out of drydock anyway. You may go, Samus. I'll call ahead to give you the clearance."

"Thanks, Adam," Samus smiled as she now walked briskly to the door, squeezing past Hardy as the cool air of the auditorium breezed at her jacket. "I won't be too long," she called over her shoulder, "and I'll be sure to bring that Metroid back in one piece!"

* * *

"MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY! THIS IS CERES SPACE COLONY REQUESTING ASSISTANCE! WE ARE UNDER ATTACK, I REPEAT, WE ARE UNDER-"

Samus sat bolt upright as the shrill noise jerked her out of her nap in the cockpit. Her heartbeat spiked from rest to full alert as she rubbed at her eyes frantically. Red symbols were flaring around the dashboard of her ship and she looked out the viewport to see the cylindrical space station still hovering in place at it grew larger relative to her approaching distance. What was new to the scenery was the large Pirate vessel currently parked alongside it.

She looked at the details of the distress call on the monitor and found the results to be a bit vague. All it indicated was that the station had been boarded by an unknown party and that urgent assistance was needed. Samus glanced up at the Ceres station and blew air out of her mouth in frustration. This mission just got a hell of a lot more difficult.

"God damn it," she cursed and frantically began to tie her hair in a ponytail so that it would not become messed up too much. With the deed done, she sat perfectly still in her chair and calmed her mind, searching inward for that lone spot that required a sensitive touch, a light pulsating in the darkness.

_They're not going to get the Metroid. I won't let them. I'll kill them all before that happens._

As soon as the Power Armor finished its formation, Samus slapped the autopilot control so that the ship directed itself to the nearest landing bay. She stood up and headed for the exit, pausing only to glance back to visually confirm that her ship had passed through the atmospheric barriers. Samus slammed the hatch control and leaped out of the circular port, slamming down on the ground even before her ship had properly landed, indenting the flimsy metal floor from the sheer weight of the armor.

The hatch at the end of the bay was still in the process of opening but Samus was at full sprint and she did not have time to wait. She barreled through the door, smashing several of the segmented metal pieces out of alignment as she headed deeper into the facility. Several light panels lay smashed and broken around her and many breached pipes hissed steam in the air, covering the halls with fog. Samus bent her knees and rushed through the accumulated debris, skidding around a corner to almost come sliding directly into a Space Pirate.

The alien squawked, clearly startled, but Samus' blood was boiling hot and she was more alert than it was. Straightening her arm out, a bolt sizzled directly through the Pirate, cauterizing a hole in its chest. It dropped without another sound. Down the long corridor, other Pirates hissed at the noise and headed through the humid chamber, now leveling off shots of their own.

Samus kept on advancing, dodging most of the beams but letting a few hit her as well, painfully knocking her back a bit. The damage was negligible, she had enough energy to withstand this sort of assault. She also fired as she traveled, taking out enemies left and right. A green burst of electricity hit a pipe next to Samus and she flinched away as bluish xenon misted her visor. She quickly wiped it off and leaped through the swirling vortex of heat and light to propel herself to the other side of the corridor, killing all who stood in her way. Blood and bone popped from her precise blasts and soon a trail of corpses was left in Samus' wake.

She remembered the passage to the lab very clearly in her mind. She kept track of the number of turns she made, counting them softly aloud as she rammed through wave after wave of Pirates. At one point, Samus was so incensed at the audacity of the aliens storming this facility that she elected to punch one in the face after it had startled her by coming out of a dark corner too quickly. The Pirate fell with severe neural damage which was exacerbated further when one of Samus' boots stomped soundly on its head, crushing it. Samus did not shed a single backwards glance and quickly moved on to finally stand in front of the hatch where the Metroid was located. She shouldered the door open and blinked as a massive round of pulse shot rocketed just past her body, some of it even grazing her suit slightly.

"What the hell, Mauk?!" Samus yelled as she stepped into the reception wing, the curves of her suit now illuminated by the familiar milky light.

"Sorry! I'm sorry!" the man protested as he sat on the ground underneath the viewing window, one hand clutching a gigantic shotgun while the other was folded across his chest, clutching an area on his gun arm. Samus checked back out into the corridor to confirm that there were no more Pirates before she walked over.

"You're hurt," she stated as she knelt down, looking at a ragged gash in Mauk's forearm that was slowly weeping blood, the flesh blistered around the opening and the dark hair blackened even further.

"It's not that bad," Mauk gritted. "Just got a little singed. Heh, you should see the other guy, though."

"I bet it didn't work out well for him," Samus said dryly before she helped Mauk to her feet. She looked out into the lab, past the security windows and felt her pulse elevate rapidly. "Mauk, where is it? Where is the Metroid?"

"Been keeping guard over it," the man gasped out in pain as he cocked his head back in the direction of the main lab. "It's still inside its containment tube."

Samus followed his gesture and peered through the thick glass layers again. When she spotted the last place the creature had been left, Samus frowned when it was apparent that the Metroid clearly was elsewhere, as in _not in the tube_. Contrary to what Mauk had proclaimed, the main section in the middle of the lab sat empty with no Metroid in sight. She could see empty workstations, running diagnostic machines, and even a few crumpled and bloodied bodies of several scientists, but nothing else.

"Mauk…" Samus gaped. "It's not _there_, Mauk."

Her friend seemed equally puzzled. "But, I could have _sworn_ it was just there. How could-"

With a muffled thump from the thick glass, an object impacted with the clear surface, smearing sticky blood over it. It didn't take long for Samus to recognize Dr. Simmons, who was now pressed against the glass, his white beard matted with his own blood. Samus' eyes trailed downward and spotted a ridged object sticking out of Simmons' chest, pinning the elderly human to the wall. It kind of looked like a tail.

With a casual flick, the spiny tail whipped Simmons off, leaving a bloodied point behind. The doctor hit the side of a desk and flipped end over end, almost certainly dead from the severe loss of blood. The tail curled upwards at the same time its owner dropped down from the rafters, a cruel smile on his face as his wings twitched in glee. Reveling in the carnage from the dead scientists around him, Ridley laughed as his body steamrolled over the sensitive equipment, spilling liquids and shards of glass as he carelessly brushed over everything. With a nasty buck of his wings, the interior lights smashed to bits, causing them to flicker, thrusting the room into darkness.

"_You may call me…Ridley…" _her memories cried out.

Samus gaped behind her mask as she stood in the lit haven, something brewing up inside her. The lit shadows on the other end twisted, her presence in the room now apparent. She glanced at the hatch to the lab and found it locked, preventing her from entering. Her breath slowed as soon as she saw the gleaming red eyes blaze their way toward her very soul.

"Once again we meet, _human_," Ridley hissed, his voice audible even through the dual layers of shatterproof glass. He chuckled as he appraised Samus' still form, his gargoyle wings spreading out anxiously. The strobing light flashed ominously, making the already otherworldly creature look more hellish and deadly. "However, you find yourself too late. Perchance, were you hoping to find _this?_"

Lifting his arm, Samus could see that Ridley's talons gripped the handle of a portable containment cylinder, the Metroid still inside. She gasped, pressing her hand up against the glass as a bout of nausea started to overcome her.

"You bastard…" she whispered.

"As much as I'd love to stay and watch you have a nervous breakdown again," Ridley taunted as he clutched the Metroid close, "I'm afraid I have more pressing matters on my hands now that I have my trump card. Feel free to have the run of the place. I have no use for it anymore."

"NO!" Samus screamed as she beat on the window, watching Ridley thrust his wings downward, propelling the dragon through the hole he had created in the ceiling of the lab. Wiring and bits of metal fell to the ground as Ridley burrowed his way through, causing havoc with the space station's systems.

Enraged, Samus continued to punch the wall, tiny spiderwebs now starting to appear from the place she furiously hammered upon. Bits of glass and dust tumbled to the floor but stopped as Mauk yanked his good arm around her and led Samus away, his grip gentle.

"It's too late," he assured. "You can't do anything about it now, Samus."

"The hell I can't!" Samus protested savagely. "He _stole_ the Metroid, Mauk! I can't just let Ridley escape this place alive! I have to kill him, don't you understand? I need to kill him and you can't stop me from doing that!"

"ALERT!" a new voice blared over the intercom. "STATION CORE HAS BEEN COMPROMISED. FAILSAFES NOT RESPONDING. REACTOR CORE IS AT SUPERCRITICAL LEVELS. TWO MINUTES UNTIL NUCLEAR REACTION."

"True," Mauk said mildly. "But an exploding space station might. Time to go."

To her credit, Samus complied immediately, staying side by side with Mauk as they ran down the hallways together, but that did not stop her anger from erupting within. Ridley had been so close to her! He was right there! Of all the rotten luck, that damned dragon had the initiative to sabotage the station beforehand to mask his getaway.

_I'll get that cursed bastard sooner or later_, Samus thought as her ship came into view after navigating the labyrinth of smoky halls. _He cannot hide from me forever._

Barely waiting for Mauk to strap in, Samus slammed the controls and the ship rocketed out of the landing bay, seconds until a flash of light flared around the perimeter of the viewport. The station had just detonated behind them.

The scanners were no longer picking up Ridley's ship on the scope and Samus had the notion to plow her fist through one of the displays in frustration. She had arrived too late to battle her foe and now she too late to track his departure. Add to that the lost Metroid and this day had gone downhill real fast.

As Mauk began to tend to his wound, Samus reluctantly engaged the hyperdrive and quickly began to set up a message to Malkovich so that he could alert him ahead of time. The general's scratchy form materialized on the hologram, his expression curious.

"_Samus?_" he coughed. "_Have you retrieved the Metroid yet?_"

"No," Samus said with a frown, her helmet still engaged. "The Space Pirates got to the facility before we did, general. Ridley grabbed the Metroid and blew up the station."

Malkovich nodded, his expression only dropping slightly. "_Roger that_," he sighed. "_What is your current destination right now?_"

"Back to Daiban. I couldn't get a read on Ridley's destination and I have Commander Mauk here to be looked after."

"_All right_," Malkovich acknowledged. "_Return to base, then. We'll get the medbay ready for the commander and we will see if we can give you a destination by the time you arrive_."

"Let's hope so," Samus grimaced before she cut the connection, her mind thinking of endless possibilities of killing Ridley slowly and painfully as the ship sped on at faster than light speeds, a blink in the darkness.

* * *

Truthfully, Samus had not expected to find herself back in the dim and expansive auditorium quite so soon, the time she had spent traveling notwithstanding. This time, Samus was slumped on the front row, her head in her hands, as both Malkovich and Keaton stood across from her. Hardy was off-planet by now, Kreatz was back at the base, and Mauk was recovering in the clinic (and doing quite well). Samus had removed her Zero suit in exchange for a pair of military-grade pants and a simple white t-shirt, one that was not bloodstained from combat this time.

The earnest attitude that tried to reassure Samus did not dissuade her from stressing out over the utter failure that had been her last mission, though, and she was currently on edge as her feet jittered, tapping out the beat of her agitation.

"If I had left sooner," she mumbled to herself, dejected, "I could have taken him. I could have stopped all this from happening, Adam."

"Maybe so," the general said sternly. "But things didn't pan out that way, Samus. You can't keep beating yourself up over what happened in the past-"

"I _know_," Samus sighed explosively. "I know, Adam. But that doesn't mean that I can't stop thinking of what I could've done better."

"No one's perfect, Samus."

"I didn't say I was," she defended.

"And that's the point," Malkovich stressed as he now removed his cap, a rare soft look now in his eyes. "Samus, I know that you believe that you cannot slow down, not even for a moment, or that everything will fall apart. But, as someone you've known for years and even considers you to be a friend of sorts, I have to stress that you cannot lose yourself to the warrior inside of you. If you lose your humanity, what will be left if not rage and hate?"

Samus could not help but smirk, slowly getting to her feet. "My _humanity_…" she scoffed. "My humanity was lost the day Ridley killed my parents, Adam. If I do slow down, who will pick up the slack? Who will be left to fight?"

Malkovich slowly shook his head and Keaton bristled slightly. "Samus," Malkovich said gently, "Sooner or later you're going to have to put your faith in other people. The fate of the galaxy does not hinge on a single person, Samus."

"You're right," Samus acknowledged as she braced her arms, letting the pure strands of energy wrap around her body so that in seconds, the shining knight stood before Malkovich and Keaton in full regalia, the colors blazing high and mighty. "I may not be able to save the galaxy," she resumed, "but you can be damn sure that I can _change_ it. And, it won't be the human inside that will accomplish it, but the _warrior_ within."

The helmeted head tilted toward Malkovich just so that he could glimpse Samus' steely eyes past the glass threshold. "We can't waste time anymore, Adam. I need to know exactly where Ridley is before any experiments can be undertaken on that Metroid."

"Wait," Keaton held up a hand in confusion. "How long exactly do we have before the Space Pirates manage to breed an entire army of these things? How bad of an encounter are we looking at?"

Samus shrugged. "Well, depending if they induce the infant to multiply by deliberately irradiating it, I'd say that in mere days they could amass an army sufficient enough to wipe out a world." She now turned to Malkovich after seeing the chairman's horrified reaction. "Which is why I hope you have a location for me, Adam, so that I can stop all of this from happening. I'm not going to sit idly by while the Pirates prepare to make _their_ mark on the galaxy. I will carve their existence from the stars before I will let that happen. Do you have something or not, general?"

Malkovich face could have been chiseled out of marble for the lack of reactions he gave off. With a reluctant and barely perceptible snort from his nostrils, he replaced his cap back on his head and fished out a small data chip and held it out to Samus. "One of our recon vessels detected Ridley's ship exiting the quadrant and projected his trajectory to the location on that chip. What is on there might not be his final location, Samus, but this planet could be-"

"No," Samus said as she glanced over the chip's contents, a fire in her eyes brimming in the background. "He's _there_. He would not go anywhere else if this was truly the direction he was headed in." She pocketed the chip and gave her helmeted head a bob after remotely uploading the coordinates via a quantum link. "Thank you, Adam."

"Don't thank me just yet," Malkovich allowed a miniscule grin. "I'm the one that signs your exorbitant paychecks anyway. You'll dry up our coffers soon enough."

"Money well spent, though," Samus grinned behind her helmet. "And this mission is personal, so I won't be returning until I see it completed. And I _will_ return."

Keaton now stepped forward and folded his hands within his black cloak. "Are you sure you don't want any backup for this mission, Samus?"

She shook her head. "I work better alone, chairman. Besides, this mission needs a stealthy touch otherwise this would just call more attention to the Federation. Also, from what I'm hearing, war is approaching the Federation's borders so it would stand to reason that you should retain every able-bodied person you have, am I correct?"

"You certainly are, young one," Keaton said as he gave a curt bow, his twin antenna dipping in tandem. "Then, I wish you good luck on your travels. May you find success on the harsh road ahead."

"Hey," Samus shrugged as she turned to leave, the door opening and flooding light into the chamber, creating stark shadows among the walls, "I'm a bounty hunter, remember? This is the life I lead."

The forlorn gazes of the two individuals were quickly forgotten as Samus strode out of the chamber, back into broad daylight. She glanced up at the sun, and with a longing murmur, disengaged her armor so that she could feel the blazing warmth on her skin. The tiny hairs on her arms prickled as the cold breeze wafted across them, causing Samus to shiver in delight as she stood on the steps of the Federation's main granite steps. Standing in the middle of this place, near the grassy mall, Samus could not help but feel a sense of longing, that she might never see this place again.

Even though time was of the essence, Samus elected to walk back to her house instead of taking the tram, shoving her hands into her pant pockets as she walked. She tried not thinking about Ridley now, or the Metroid, or anything else. Right now, she wanted to savor this final moment of peace before she thrust herself into the thick of things once again.

As she crossed the pedestrian bridge that spanned the river, Samus got an unadulterated view of the Daiban Military Academy's gardens, an ornate configuration of bushes and trees arranged in a maze pattern that allowed for patches of circular fields to rise over the river, creating vantage points for the students to relax on. Beyond the gardens, Samus spotted her house on the other side, so she decided to take a shortcut. Leaping over the towering bushes, Samus tucked into a roll as she hit the soft grass and casually walked in the direction of her establishment like she had not just completed a feat of physicality that any normal human could never do.

Samus walked past the monuments commemorating all of the notable people who had once graced the academy with their presence but she hardly gave them her attention. A few children, still clad in their school uniforms, ran past her on the sidewalk and went to play at the ball court, laughing in anticipation of having fun. Samus smiled at the innocent youths, envious of their purity from the vast cauldron that was life.

She stopped the moment she felt tiny pinches running up her leg and back, little claws scampering on her clothing. With a coy smile, she reached back and plucked Pyonchi off of her, rubbing the rabbilis' head as he squeaked in happiness.

"What, did you get bored at the house or something?" she spoke to Pyonchi in a mock condescending tone. "You thought that the gardens would provide better entertainment?"

Of course, Samus had no way of completely understanding what Pyonchi's real motivations were but it was obvious that the rabbilis was glad to see her, judging by the way his was frantically burrowing his head in the crook of her arm, begging for scratches. Samus obliged him as she ran her fingers down the white fur of Pyonchi's back, her mood rising as she saw just how much her presence was being enjoyed.

Samus wandered into the shade of a willow tree, its stringy branches scratching at her head, and she was about to move out of the way when she spotted a small form sitting at the base of the tree, wearing a red tunic and reading from a tablet. The academy student lifted her head, brushed her raven-black hair out of her eyes, and beamed when she saw Samus, and Samus headed over to her, returning the smile.

"Hello, Damara," Samus greeted as she pushed aside more of the branches.

"Hi, Samus!" Damara brightened as she stood up, dusting off her skirt. "What…what are you doing here?"

"I was just headed home," Samus said with a cock of her head. "Thought I might take a shortcut instead of traversing around the academy."

"You live _there?_" Damara gaped as she spied the lone house around the tangle of bushes a half mile away. "Wow. I didn't realize you lived so close to me." She then appraised the rabbilis currently sunning his belly in Samus' arms. "Woah, that's a cool pet!"

"Thanks," Samus said. "His name is Pyonchi. I found him on the planet K-2L, where my…" She stopped, finding herself unable to open up to the girl, a lump materializing in her throat.

"I know, Samus," Damara said sagely as she placed a hand on the older woman's arm. "You told me of what happened a long time ago on Jigrad, remember?"

Samus nodded, knowing that her eyes were turning a bit red. "Yeah, I do. I bet you can surmise where I get my angry streak from , right?"

"It's worked well for you in the past," Damara grinned. "I wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for you!"

"Yes, but how many others could have been saved? How many other cases like me and you are out there right now?" That question went unanswered so Samus simply brushed it off. "Never mind me being morbid, Damara. I've been thinking too long about the wrong things lately."

"You okay, Samus?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. It's just…I have to go away for a bit. On a mission, you see."

Damara's face dropped in concern. "Is it important?"

"Very," Samus said somberly. "I don't know when I will be back but it's something that I have to do."

"Oh," Damara said, crestfallen. "I see."

"But actually," Samus now said with a knowing look. "This is actually quite fortuitous for me meeting you here. Damara, can I count on you to help me with something?"

"For you?" the girl brightened. "Anything!"

"Would you be so kind as to look after Pyonchi while I'm gone?" she asked as she bounced the fluffy rabbilis in her arms. "He's going to need someone to be with for the time being. He hates being left alone at the house."

"Me?" Damara said, shocked. "But Samus, students aren't allowed pets in the dorms. I could get in trouble for smuggling him in!"

"You don't need to worry about that," Samus assured. "Pyonchi helps himself to his food and water at my house nearby and he's always running off trying to make friends while I'm gone. I would just feel a lot better if he was with you in between classes and the like because he will just be incensed at me otherwise. Do you think you can keep him company outside in the meantime?"

"Absolutely," Damara said with no hesitation. Samus held the creature out to the girl and Pyonchi eagerly hopped into her awaiting arms. The rabbilis was almost as big as Damara's upper torso and threatened to smother her in his billowy fur. Pyonchi nuzzled his head against Damara's chin, his beady black eyes awaiting affection. She giggled helplessly and scratched the rabbilis back, his ears flopping around her arms as she embraced him.

"He likes you," Samus observed.

"He's adorable!" Damara gushed. "Can…can my friends play with him too?"

"He'll tire you all out before you know it," Samus chuckled. "He's got a whole lot of energy to expend."

Pyonchi had hopped out of Damara's arms and grabbed her reading tablet, taking it up into the branches of the willow tree. He held it out in front of him, carefully grasping it but rocking it back and forth in a playful manner. Damara made a noise of irritation and Samus laughed. "He does that," she explained.

"Samus," Damara said after giggling some more, her youthful eyes quickly beginning to plead, "promise me that when you'll get back, you'll let me know?"

Samus knelt down so that she and the girl were eye to eye, all untrue notions cast aside between them. "I promise, Damara," Samus said, her stare drilling through Damara's. "I promise that when I return from my mission, I will let you know immediately."

The girl then surprised Samus by embracing her in a fierce hug. The faint pressure from Pyonchi's clawed pads also indicated that he too had joined them, creating a thick scarf of his fur around their necks. Damara broke away with Pyonchi in her arms this time, her eyes shining with tears positioned to fall. "Don't forget," she whispered, her voice beginning to crack.

"I won't," Samus said back before giving Pyonchi and Damara playful ruffles on their heads. "Goodbye," she breathed, cursing the lengths that her sense of duty tore her apart from everyone.

She stood to leave and quickly walked away, before Damara could see Samus shedding tears. It had been years since Samus had last cried. In a way, it felt good to release her emotions but knew that such breaches were better off in private. Angrily, she wiped her tears away, her teeth clenching as she worked her mind on the upcoming battle at hand, ignoring the laughter in the air from the kids playing all around her.

The wind tucked itself around her, causing a chill to run up Samus' spine. She willed herself not to look back, for fear that she would be crippled by a desire to stay. But would her duty be worth anything? Had her purpose in life come and gone already, meaning that her destination was a fool's errand, a folly? Would she be ready to face her fears again?

Samus only knew that this could end in two ways: either her demons would be destroyed, or she would be.

* * *

_**A/N: Well, with this chapter, it seems that this fanfic is one of the few in the Metroid category to break the 100,000 word barrier. Just shows how far we've come along. Also, a few chapters ago, you all helped break 1,000 views on this story so I must offer my gratitude for sticking with this for this long.**_

_**Now, the final act approaches, and Samus will face her toughest trials yet. Heh...this should be fun.**_

_**LawrenceSnake: That's pretty much the gist of it. I wanted to showcase Samus in fisticuffs because any other chances for brawling would have her confined to her Power Suit so this was an opportunity to do something a little different. Plus, Samus is a master of combat by now and she has most likely gained the confidence to go toe to toe with a few Space Pirates without the need for her armor. It was a chance to empower her character without making the armor seem like a crutch all the time (despite its obvious usefulness).**_


	15. Chapter 15: Tooth and Nail

She was life.

The raised structures of the chamber folded and melded around themselves, creating a continuously contorting series of walls that served only to protect her, for she was the most important being in the galaxy, and perhaps even the universe. And what sort of guardian would be so careless as to allow herself to remain exposed, free for the ever-corrupt galaxy to barge in and possess her like she was a mere object?

The silver material of the lair gleamed around Mother Brain, illuminating the dark creature encased in the nutrient vat. Fixed turrets swiveled upon their emplacements, tracking every single microscopic speck that lay in the air, focused only on protecting the only alive thing in the room. Electricity created a low thrum in the chamber, power searing through the cables that stretched for miles around and into the planet itself; the arteries of Zebes.

Mother had entirely rearranged Tourian in the past few years, finding fault with the Chozo's love for stone and naturally occurring substances to adorn their halls. How primitive of them, metal was the future, steel was strength, and she surrounded herself in it to emphasize her toppling of the ancient ways, to bolster her form and wreathe her in safety. Her entire housing had been replaced, her sensitive electronics firmly sealed away so that no one could uncover them. She was indestructible now, supremely perfect.

Her mind wrapped around each and every lifeform on Zebes. She could touch their thoughts, experience their memories. She could _feel_ their heartbeat, pulsating to the ever-present rhythm of the planet itself. It was hypnotic, intoxicating. Mother could feel the swirl of emotions flooding her like a torrent, surging within the liquid of her tank to reverberate on her true form. She let her mind wander further, calling upon her abilities to look upon the furthest edges of the galaxy, to witness the events of the plan that she had in motion.

She could see ships of all shapes and sizes throw themselves upon one another in the shadow of a ringed planet. She could watch the winged outlines of Pirate vessels dive-bomb blocky Federation warships, creating ripples of orange and black along their hulls. Mother could see sights like this all over, finding each and every encounter remarkable in its similarity. She focused her mind outward even more, so that she could see the rim of destruction that she had set upon the galaxy, slowly creeping inward towards the center of the spiral, where the Federation called home.

In the end, it would not matter what resources the Federation could throw at her now. Nothing could stop the cycle of war she had unleashed, and nothing could touch her. This was her fortress, her vault, utterly impenetrable. Only fools with no foresight would be daft to approach her, especially when she had all of the power in the galaxy at her disposal.

Now, Mother cradled her mind's eye more locally, peering down the halls where she watched life bloom before her eyes. Metroids, about a dozen of them, floated through the chamber, gorging themselves on the beta radiation that had flooded the place intentionally by her, creating the perfect environment for them to divide. Mother was immensely proud of her work, watching in a side hall as the one who made it all possible, the Metroid One she now called it, floated in a tank, helpless as radiation poured into it, creating an unstable anomaly as the organism became more and more saturated with the deadly particles.

The Metroid One had multiplied in size since its arrival here, but that was most likely a reflex response to the immense amount of stress being placed on it from the irradiated room. Mother hummed in anticipation; if the Metroids could withstand such harsh environments and find them conducive, then the possibilities for flash cloning her unstoppable army would present themselves in short order. The Chozo had ultimately failed in keeping her away from them and now she would use their failure against the galaxy, to show their dead spirits that she was capable of saving everyone, that she was the one to rule everything. This was her purpose and she would not be denied!

Who could withstand her anymore? The Federation was weak, a tired body barely held together by strings. An amalgamation of weak races that tried to justify power through unity. Foolish, the strong were the only rightful inheritors. What advantages did these species have that she didn't? No claws, fangs, or anything to create nightmares with. That was where the Space Pirates had the advantage, for they were truly the creatures she had envisioned all along as her enforcers.

No, the more she thought about it, Mother began to reconsider her initial thoughts. The Space Pirates were the most useful species to carry out her will, yes, but they were still imperfect by leagues. Their appetite for destruction was like a black hole, never satiated, always wanting more. Even if peace were to break out with the destruction of the Federation, would the Pirates simply lay down their arms and accept the lull in the conflict? Or…would they resume their warring, possibly turning against the other for the purposes of creating enemies to fight, ensuring that their everlasting fighting would be infinite?

The answer was obvious to Mother, but she forced herself to think about current events instead of seeing that far into the future. Conflict was inevitable, yes, but conflict was here _now_. This was the time when she could prove to the galaxy that she was indeed the true master of the universe. The Space Pirates were only tools, but the Metroids…they were her _weapon_. With her fully realized vision, Mother fantasized on the moment she would unleash her creation among the Federation and Space Pirates alike, purging this galaxy of all life so that she could shape it in her image, to create the ultimate paradise that she had always envisioned. With this final exodus, she could finally be the master of true intelligent beings.

The thought was so tantalizing to Mother that her apparatus squirmed in delight, relishing the opportunity. She had waited years for this moment, and being infinite, she could wait for as long as it took.

Until a presence touched a corner of her mind, a feeling that she had not experienced in years, suddenly impacted on her like a splinter burrowing itself deep. It came from this planet, like the ground had opened up with a cry, signaling the arrival of one who had been so lost and had finally returned after being worlds apart. The sensation was so strong that it anguished Mother painfully, causing her true eye to decrease to a slit as she comprehended the implications of this person's presence. It could only be this one person, for no one else could impact Mother as greatly as this one could right now.

It was _her_.

"So, _Samus_," Mother said, her voice unnaturally booming in the emptiness of her chamber. "You have come at last. You have come to bear witness to your future…and your _failure!_"

Cackling, the room reverberated for a long time with Mother's laughs, so loud they almost extended to the planet's surface itself.

* * *

The awning that the cave provided dripped water collected from the surface while the sleek red craft blew the moist silt away as it landed in the shadow portion of Crateria. Stalactites, shining spears of limestone, glistened as the dying light of the day reflected off of the smooth surface, and of the figure that clambered out of the hatch, surrounded by the orange light.

Samus hopped down, splashing acid-saturated mud everywhere as her boots sank into the muck. She wasted no time in dawdling and made for the hatch at the end of the cave, already spotting the familiar blue glow. Moss crusted around the metal, signifying the level of disrepair that had fallen upon this place.

She felt a pang as she looked into the deserted halls, seeing the level of destruction caused by the crumbling rock and decaying walls. What had her home become? Was this what Mother intended? To let the old Zebes fall to ruin while she raised the new one out of blood and iron?

Samus was so engrossed in her hatred that she barely heard a shriek from above. Operating on her lightning-fast reflexes, Samus bent her knees and shot away just as a Skree plummeted down from where it had been hanging on the ceiling. Burrowing its two mandibles in the ground, the flying creature yowled in frustration before the sac of explosive gases in its gut erupted, creating a shockwave of purple blood.

That caused Samus to immediately look up in time to see the rest of the Skree roost twitch their wings in preparation to burrow themselves in the bounty hunter's skull. _No, you don't_, Samus thought to herself as she lifted her arm cannon and leveled several bursts that shredded the Skrees on impact. Shredded flesh rained down and Samus checked her six, an old combat habit.

"Tricky," Samus panted, mainly to herself. "But you should know that a few stray animals will not stop me so easily, Mother."

"_Oh, I'm well aware of that_," a tinny voice seemed to blast from around her, causing Samus to turn in all directions. "_Or were you expecting me to show you the way to me right at the outset, Samus?_"

Samus could not see Mother's spherical monitor, only the shafts of light from the surface as she walked deeper into Brinstar, the next sector from Crateria. Cavernous ferns reached for these beams, pale leaves trembling as they longed for that glimpse of the sky. Samus kept her cannon ready, her teeth already beginning to grind together.

"You had to know this was coming, Mother," she called. "I'm not about to be deterred by whatever traps you throw at me."

"_Have a little faith_," Mother's voice bounced gleefully around the cave. "_You see, I have perfected my influence upon the simple beasts that inhabit Zebes' ecosystem. To simply let the weak ones upon you would be a waste of potential. Let us see what you make of this!_"

A column of sand and dirt erupted a few meters to Samus' left. A blur shot out of the sinkhole that had just appeared and a huge worm arced in the air overhead, a few dozen meters in length. The King Worm's segmented body possessed spikes on its sides, complete with a pair of menacing looking mandibles that surrounded its large eye which made up the entirety of its head. The giant worm waved its body and quickly plunged down towards Samus below, making a high-pitched scream as it did so.

Samus barely moved away in time before the King Worm hit the earth, immediately burrowing its large body in the sand, sending out plumes of dirt that impacted on Samus' body. She grunted as she rolled on the ground, watching the worm disappear down the hole it had just created. Samus shot to her feet but looked down as the ground began rumbling again, causing nearby pebbles to clatter off nearby boulders. The King Worm was burrowing at an astonishing speed that it was almost too fantastical to believe.

This time, Samus was too slow. The King Worm burst its body out again from underneath the bounty hunter, and its long mandibles gouged a long scratch on the Power Armor as the sheer force of its exit into the air propelled Samus against the side of the cave. She impacted hard, shattering the stone and creating a Samus-sized indent on the wall. Grunting in pain, Samus noted that the attack had cost her a quarter of a unit tank. Her right arm ached and her fingers felt sluggish. She could taste copper in her mouth and coughed, splattering the interior of her visor with blood.

"_Was this the challenge you wanted, Samus?_" Mother taunted, still unseen. "_It's amazing what just the slightest amount of genetic tampering will do to something with a lesser mind. Now, the entire planet is protecting me. The Zebes you knew is gone, Samus. It's gone…and it's all mine!"_

Samus dropped to the ground just in time to hear a loud buzzing noise in the air. She craned her head frantically, looking for the source, until she felt a spike ram painfully in her back and quickly found herself flying. Her feet dangled as _something_ hoisted her high, a loud buzzing rattling her skull. With a gasp of agony, Samus looked up to witness her carrier, a multi-eyed, quad-winged monstrosity that looked like a larger version of the stinging insects she had to deal with as a child. This one, however, was five times larger than her and way uglier: an Imago.

Her Power Suit was lodged in between the spikes on the Imago's stinger and Samus twisted in place, trying to free herself, noting that the insect was gaining altitude as she struggled. She groped for the stinger herself but movement from the ground caught her eye. As before, the King Worm shot from the sand and sped straight towards her. But Samus was still caught in the grip of the Imago and she suddenly realized that it was keeping her in place in time for the worm to make a successful strike.

With a painful lurch, Samus yelled as the worm's pincers clamped around her torso and squeezed. There was a crack and Samus felt the plates on the side of her armor shift as they were suddenly breached. A sliver of the mandible entered her side and Samus grunted as she could already feel herself start to bleed. The king worm roared triumphantly but let go very quickly as its initial grip was not as strong as it had hoped, and it fell heavily to the ground with a _thump_.

Her hand clutched at her side and when Samus pulled it away, she could see a dark red liquid stain the smooth surface. She coughed, a choking rasp, and watched helplessly as the King Worm slithered on the ground, preparing to make another strike. The Imago still held its grip on her and refused to let go, buzzing anxiously as victory rapidly approached.

Samus cried out as she wrenched her gun arm free, but she did not aim it at the Imago who held her captive. Rather, she aimed it downward at the snaking worm below her, waiting for it to make its move.

"You hit me one time," she gritted through her pain. "I will not give you a second chance."

Oblivious to the danger, the King Worm tensed and finally pounced, extending its pincers wide as it prepared to close on her body once more. Samus, however, waited for the moment that the creature's eye was open wide before she held down her secondary trigger and simultaneously yanked on her primary. The missile burst out of the muzzle with a puff of vaporized accelerant and propelled itself straight into the King Worm's eye at point-blank range.

The effects were spellbinding. The missile tore the head of the worm practically in half, sending armor plating and dark blood everywhere. Vitreous humour splashed from the remnants of the ruined eye, the liquefied components hanging in tatters around the destroyed stump of a head.

The main body of the worm was still in flight from its leap, and there was still one remaining mandible dangling by a thread as it rose into the air. The Imago was too slow to react to the death of its combative partner and the off-course body of the King Worm just missed Samus, aiming a tad high of her body. On the other hand, the last mandible was still razor sharp and since the dead worm had already failed to hit its intended target, fate managed for it to hit another throughout its trajectory. The headless, but not quite mandible-less, body sliced through the stinger of the Imago, cutting it, and sent Samus plummeting to the ground. She righted herself in mid-air and landed heavily on her feet, causing her side to flare uncomfortably. Blood was now bubbling out of the cracks in her armor, but she could ill-afford to care about that at the moment.

As the Imago shrieked, its severed stump trailing green gore, Samus made an animalistic noise as she now set the spiraling insect in her sights. With a furious flurry of missiles, the Imago's face disintegrated in a cloud of green smoke, a horrendous splattering noise accompanying the detonation as the remainder of the creature's brains painted the walls, followed by the sickening thud of what remained of its body.

"_An impressive display, Samus_," Mother clucked from her invisible perch. "_A bit sloppier than I envisioned, but you still handled yourself admirably. Old Bird would be proud of you._"

"You don't _get_ to say his name!" Samus bellowed, fighting though her wound as she walked past the smoking corpses. "You don't get to say _any_ of their names! Not after you betrayed them!"

"_Betrayed them? Why, Samus, I was doing them a favor. They had been a part of this galaxy for so long and they realized at the end that their efforts for peace were fruitless; at least in the direction they were originally headed. They relied on me to put them out of their misery. But…you took that away from me_."

"_Shut up!_" Samus screamed. "They were not yours to do with as you pleased. They did not want anything _you_ had to offer! All you can give me now is a horde of mindless beasts crafted in your labs! Show yourself, Mother! Tell me where you are so that I can face you myself!"

Samus tromped through an acid pool, ignoring the sizzling noises it made as the orange beads momentarily clung to her calf guards. She shouldered aside webbing blocking the corridor ahead but stopped after blasting a family of Geemers out of the way as she found out that a landslide was blocking her path. Judging by the buildup of vegetation sprouting from between the cracks the boulders made, Samus judged that the hallway collapse had occurred some time ago. That was not going to help her in any case, as she had no weaponry that could clear that debris in a timely manner.

"_Oh dear_," Mother's sarcastic voice projected. "_Is the path to Tourian blocked, Samus? I do apologize for the mess, I was planning to clear it eventually but I had so many other things to do-_"

"Spare me," Samus spat as she wheeled in place, running back towards the main access shaft. "There are other ways to get to you."

"_True, very true. I don't suppose you're going to take the Norfair route in an effort to bypass the blockage? That's your only remaining avenue anyway so I would watch yourself. No telling what you'll find down there."_

Samus kept her mouth shut for the duration of Mother's taunts and summarily shut her external audio feeds off to help her with that feat. Thankfully, Samus did not need audio to indicate the presence of any enemies as her motion sensor did that for her. The quick elevator trip down to Norfair was uneventful, as was the trek through the magma facilities, comprising nothing but glass tubes suspended over the conduits that pumped molten rock through the interior.

Zebes was mainly a volcanic planet but many of its volcanoes remained dormant, and thus the majority of the activity lay buried beneath the surface. The Chozo had tunneled through these caverns and used it for geothermal power, making the entirety of Norfair one big power plant. It was completely infested with creatures that liked the boiling hot temperatures, but they were deterred easily with a few blasts from Samus' beam. Many of the spidery creatures simply hung onto the machinery after learning not to cross the bounty hunter, preferring to feast on the sulphur deposits instead of the human for the time being.

Another elevator trip to the processing plant revealed more of the same abandoned corridors littered with debris as a result of the Chozo's impromptu evacuation. Samus was starting to sweat in her Power Suit and her breath was beginning to fog the interior of her visor. The air conditioners in her armor whined in protest, overtaxing themselves to keep the human encased within cool.

Pushing through the last flooded conduit, Samus stumbled into a large storage room, noting how high the lights were positioned as if large objects were expected to be shuttled here. Samus had disengaged her mute receptors and let the quiet expanse soothe her. Unfortunately, the peaceful moment did not last long as Mother's monitor unexpectedly dropped down from the rafters, floating high above where even Samus could not reach.

"You have proved your tenacity, Samus," Mother congratulated. "It is commendable that you have deduced where to go so quickly and to have made it this far."

"Offer the complements right before I kill you," Samus growled. "I haven't reached my objective just yet."

"Ah," the monitor dipped, "Undoubtedly so. But, you see, I'm fully intending for you not to leave this room alive so there really won't be another time for me to extend my ovations. Everything will become clear momentarily."

With an ear-splitting _CRACK_, the ground splintered right in front of Samus. Sheets of sandstone slid away as something rose from the depths, a green-scaled monstrosity that quickly filled the room with its enormous size. Samus stood in shock as the reptilian creature towered five stories above her, its head matching the height Mother's monitor was currently floating at.

At first glance, the forest green being resembled a Space Pirate that had been enlarged significantly. Its cream colored belly had three slits that looked like belly buttons. Its two hands only contained two fingers each but these were punctuated by curved ivory claws that looked like they could finely shred steel. Horns rose from its head, crowning its three red eyes, and its serpentine tongue snaked out of its prehistoric mouth, slithering in anticipation of snacking on Samus.

"Samus, I hereby introduce to you…_Kraid_," Mother announced dramatically. "Unfortunately, the poor sap does not have the capacity to speak so I have to do all of his dictation for him. He used to be a regular Space Pirate, you see, until I 'volunteered' him for an experiment. As you can see, the results were impressive."

"God…" Samus gasped at the creature that thoroughly dwarfed her. "You _have_ gone insane."

"Well, I do confess that it was my fault that his vocal cords devolved to such a primitive state due to the mixture of the teratogenic compounds required to boost him to his current form. But, to be brutally honest, if Kraid _did_ have the capacity to talk, I probably couldn't be bothered to listen to what he would have to say. After all, he was not the most intelligent being on the planet to begin with. _Hee hee hee_."

Samus was caught off guard by the intelligence's laughter, fearfully aware that she was in the presence of a mad AI and a snarling animal. Not exactly the best combination of people to be trapped inside a room with.

The shaking of the ground from Kraid's footsteps brought Samus back to reality and she raised her arm cannon to ward the beast off, firing a few bursts at his head in panic. However, Kraid did not even seem discomforted by the discharge of energy upon him, simply blinking as the energy bolts bounced off his body.

Astonished, Samus could only gape as Kraid lurched forward, not deterred from the meager assault on the tiny human below. Mother gave a chuckle as Samus backed up against the wall, finding delight as she watched the woman weigh her rapidly disappearing options.

"Shooting him with that pathetic beam is not going to help you," Mother called. "I'm afraid I engineered his skin to be on par with an oscillating quantum weave. You won't be able to so much as scratch Kraid, but _him_, on the other hand…"

Movement on Kraid's torso drew Samus' gaze and she could only stare in horror as the three slits on his stomach opened, revealing three twin-pronged spikes that pushed themselves out of the creature's gut. Samus tilted her head, apprehensive at their purpose when they suddenly _shot_ out, propelled by an unseen force and zoomed through the air. Samus tried to jump out of the way at the last moment, but suddenly felt three impacts violently slam against her body and she was thrown backwards against the wall, one leg and both arms pinned from the organic projectiles.

The pain was excruciating. Samus screamed in anguish as it felt like several of her bones had broken at once. Her back arched in response, limited to its range of movement as she tried to thrash. Her right arm was pinned and still felt movable, but her left forearm was clearly broken as was her right ankle, both shattered when Kraid's stomach projectiles slammed into them, nailing them to the wall. A snapping sound came from the ruined plates of the Power Suit, the material shedding as it gradually cracked off its wearer.

"Give up, Samus," Mother said calmly as she watched the human struggle to free herself. Kraid, now seeing that his prey was trapped, lurched forward eagerly. Mother's metal orb rotated menacingly, its expression blank. "What is the point of resisting? You won't achieve anything today. You might as well cease your fighting and submit."

"_N-Never!_" Samus cried through her haze, her limbs quaking as she forced them as high as she could allow, almost passing out from the pressure being placed on her wounded limbs.

"You are only adding to the cycle of destruction, repression, and murder," Mother pressed. "You aren't helping anyone by trying to fight me. All you're doing is repeating the mistakes others made before you! The Chozo did not see it, and neither do you! You've both been blinded by your ambitions, by your foolish dreams. Allow me to wake you up."

A shadow fell over Samus and she looked up just in time to see the clawed foot of Kraid violently smash down upon her. There was a muffled cry and then silence. Kraid ground his foot on the rough floor to further rid itself of the annoying pest. Cracks spiraled out from the impact site and Samus was nowhere to be seen, still hidden beneath Kraid's large foot.

Mother's monitor dropped down, the lens clacking in thought as she appraised the area Samus had just occupied before the gigantic monster had squished her with its foot. "A pity. But _you_ are not the savior of the galaxy, Samus. Only_ I_ get to reset everything to zero, not you."

No sooner had Mother uttered these words did a sharp explosion suddenly clap around the room, shaking a few stalactites loose. Kraid howled in pain and lifted his foot off where a flower of flame and noise had bloomed underneath his sole. Greenish blood splashed the rocks and Mother saw that one of Kraid's toes had been severed, twirling in the air as it was propelled away. The lummox hopped on its good foot, obviously angered, and it stared, dumbfounded, at its now two-toed foot bled all over the ground.

A reddish blur shot across the ground, far too small to be the human. Mother swiveled in place, confused at what was transpiring in front of her. In seconds, a bright red ball, just slightly bigger than her own monitor, suddenly rolled across the ground, trailing light from its plates down the middle. The new sphere's surface suddenly rippled and collapsed, now rearranging itself around a humanoid form. The armored figure clumsily rolled as it exited the Morph Ball, hindered by a bad leg, but they managed a perfect crouching formation nonetheless.

"It isn't possible…" Mother could only say.

"_What's_ not possible, Mother?" Samus growled, her arm cannon already aimed at Kraid. "That I'm still alive? Or that you're unable to see past _your_ foolish dreams?"

With several quick _ka-THUNKS_, explosions from Samus' missiles rippled across Kraid's hide. The creature yowled in response to the uncomfortable sensations and spotted Samus on the opposite side of the room. His scales blackened, Kraid lumbered toward her, his maw unleashing a hefty roar.

"_I_ am the true successor of the Chozo," Samus continued. "You are unfit to carry their will, Mother. I am only here to make sure that you do not keep making the same mistakes that you've always made. Today, I will finally rid the galaxy of the Chozo's defective product once and for all!"

"I…" Mother spouted at the same time Samus launched her next missile. "Am not…"

The missile sailed on through, straight at the fleshy opening that Kraid revealed, saliva glistening off of his teeth as his three eyes squinted.

"…a defective…"

Samus kept her breathing shallow, trying hard to stay steady on her wobbly knees, even in her crouch. She could feel her blood streaming down her side, her leg and wrist aching as the slightest movement grated on her bones.

"…_PRODUCT!_"

The missile, aimed straight and true, darted through the barrier Kraid's teeth presented. The direction of the airflow streamlined its entry, angling it downward somewhat. With a boom, the back of Kraid's neck exploded outward, creating a large hole that pushed aside skin, blood, and bone to create a perfect line of sight completely through the mutated Space Pirate. Immediately, Kraid became listless, his mouth already starting to gush blood. It streamed down his front, staining his cream-colored belly. It trickled from his eyes, the weeping cascading in a downpour. As all activity in Kraid's tiny brain spat one final flare before the neuron synapses were extinguished, he tilted dangerously and toppled to the ground, making a resounding crash that shook all of the limestone off of the metal walls, partially burying the creature.

"Mark my words, Samus…" Mother uttered, her attention slowly coming around to Samus after staring in horror at the fallen Kraid. "Such a statement has been uttered before. I did not offer forgiveness then, and when they _died_, I gave them no-"

Samus spun around and fired another missile, headed straight on course for Mother's monitor. With a shriek of tearing metal, the sphere blasted apart in a puff of flame and a shower of sparks. The cursed voice quickly quieted with a squawk and the clattering of the shattered components replaced it.

"_That_ ought to shut you up," Samus spat before a stab of pain from her side caused her to hunch down. She grunted, clapping a hand to the bloody side of her armor on reflex, further wincing as she smacked her broken arm against her armor.

Samus limped towards the exit, dragging her useless foot behind her. Blood dripped off of her in several places, staining her once pristine armor. Several of the Power Suit's protective plates had cracked off, revealing a mass of wiring and mechanical components underneath. It felt weird to walk, every breath created a new and uncomfortable sensation, every heave a rake across her lungs. Samus' vision began to blur as she stumbled through the hallway, the distance in front of her rapidly multiplying and lengthening.

She knew she had to keep going, that she could not stop, but how could she possibly continue in this state? Her body was ruined, as was her suit. Even now, several of the diagnostic panels were flickering and dying due to a lack of power, her energy levels dangerously low. Samus' mind waned, her concentration gradually slipping away. She tried to focus on simply taking the next step in front of her, to go the extra inch and fight past the agony.

It was too much. She couldn't do it. Samus' good leg finally buckled, sending her crashing to the ground. The hallway suddenly felt huge all around her, making her seem so small. Her accumulated injuries all spiked at once and Samus coughed, now feeling extraordinarily tired. She reached her hand out, trying to claw at something to drag her forward, but her fingers felt nothing. With a weak moan, Samus flopped her body down on the ground, finding the hard floor surprisingly comfortable. Her duty evaporating in her mind, the need to just sleep came overwhelmingly upon her. Samus' eyelids drooped and she gently rested her head on the floor, trying not to move her damaged limbs all that much.

As her eyes finally closed with a sigh, Samus could have sworn that a figure was walking down the hall towards her, a dark outline flickering in and out as it started to enlarge in her vision. Unable to make out their features from the glare of the lights overhead, Samus expelled one final breath in frustration and proceeded to lose consciousness all at once, the mystery still engrained in her head.

* * *

_**A/N: One main boss down, two more to go. We're nearing the end of the story now, folks. It's very exciting for me to know that this is going to be seen through to the very end.**_

_**The next chapter might take a little longer to write so any delays in its development should be expected - just a heads up for you all.**_

_**Link The Hero Of Light: The entirety of the Samus and Joey comics is a bit too comedic for my personal tastes. I never really got into reading them the same way I did with this manga as the dramatic nature of this material was way more enticing to novelize. Besides, I'm not too sold on the idea of Samus having a kid sidekick - it just doesn't seem to align with the character all that much. Also, in most media, people find kids annoying - especially me. A quote from Harry Plinkett said it best: "No one likes little kids."**_


	16. Chapter 16: The Successors

It was very peaceful just lying down. Samus breathed calmly in and out through her nose, finding her prone position to be very relaxing. If she concentrated hard enough, she could not even feel her wounds, discovering that her pain was dissipating the more she focused away from the discomfort. Samus gave a tiny smile; if this was dying, then it wasn't so bad.

She sighed, turning her head to the side so that she would be more comfortable. Samus prepared to embrace the blinding light, to see the people she had lost over the years come before her in greeting. Many said that death was the road to awe, a place where no harm would befall those who had proven themselves worthy. She hoped that she had done enough to earn her place amongst those that resided there. Perhaps she could even see her family once again. That alone would be a suitable reward.

But the light did not come, to her slight annoyance. Rather, whatever light filtered past her closed eyelids got slightly darker and there were soft sounds emanating from right in front of her body. Samus frowned; maybe it was a stray animal that had wandered down here that had cut off the illumination. Perhaps it was a hungry creature that was on the prowl for flesh and had finally struck gold by finding her down here, helpless and weak. Samus knew that death would come for her one day but she considered getting eaten alive to not be the sort of end that she would have picked out for herself. Calling upon her last fiber of energy, she lifted her head and twitched her arm in one final effort to ward off whatever was in front of her. It was only when she saw a pair of talons sticking from beneath a black robe inches away from her hand did she stop, her jaw dropping in surprise.

Her eyes gradually trailed up, moving along the featureless and slick cloak as she lifted her gaze. Moving past an ornate neckband, the head of the person who stood above her now came into view; a long beak, two golden eyes, and a feathered head.

"_H-How…?_" Samus mumbled. "How…c-can this…b-b-be?"

"How?" a gentle voice answered as the figure stooped down to take Samus' hand. From their dry grip, Samus felt a soothing sensation spread throughout her body, like she had been dipped in a warm bath. It oozed under her skin, thick as molten metal, and caused her limbs to heat up. It was not a searing heat, but a light smolder, burning through her bones and knitting them back together. She could feel her broken body converge repair themselves and at the second everything clicked back together, she cried out and her consciousness that linked her Power Suit finally severed, causing it to deposit her on the floor in her royal blue bodysuit.

Gasping, Samus tenderly used her arms to raise her torso, finding to her shock that all of the pain in her body had completely dissipated. Her hair fell around her head, still tied in a ponytail, but her twin locks fluttered over her forehead, gently tickling her. Samus unconsciously clasped a hand to her side and pulled it off to find that no blood remained on her hand. She looked down and saw that, despite there being a puncture mark that left a white circle of skin exposed and a patch of dried blood that had encrusted around the entrance, there was no wound to behold.

Still slowly, as if unsure of her new status, Samus got to her feet, her eyes never leaving her rescuer, her protector. Her fingertips twitched, like she wanted to abruptly reach out and grasp the person across from her, to confirm his tangibility, his corporealness.

"_G-Gray?_" Samus whispered, her voice husky with emotion.

The Chozo nodded, a sad smile crossing his features. "Yes, Samus," he said gently. "It is me."

Samus shook her head and took a step backwards in confusion. "N-no…" she muttered. "You're…you're dead, Gray. I'm dreaming. This…this can't be real."

"This is no dream," Gray Voice assured as he stepped closer to Samus, the slow movement still making the human flinch back even more. His expression hurt, he held out a hand to comfort Samus. "You have always been a rational person, Samus. I _am_ dead, yes, but why should this mean that this isn't real right now?"

Samus crossed her arms, her face becoming incredulous. "_Explain_, Gray. Explain to me how this is possible, then."

"The persistence of memory," the Chozo sighed, tilting his head up thoughtfully. "All Chozo have the ability to imprint themselves upon a place if they so choose. I still have unfinished business to attend to in this place and thus a part of me remains. Your people call such things, 'spirits.' For us, the distinction is merely a matter of physical states, a rendering of the soul when part of it wants to be in one place while the other part wishes to remain in another."

"So…I'm just talking to a memory of you? Like an AI?"

"Yes and no," Gray Voice shrugged. "I carry all of Gray Voice's thoughts and emotions. I am a projection of his very being upon this place. In a sense, I am a final reminder of what Gray Voice used to be." He spread his palms wide and flexed his dexterous fingers. "In part, our genetic connection is what is tying us together right now. It is what called me to you. You are of my blood, Samus, and through our DNA I can establish this link with you, calling my final imprint forth so that I may speak with you right now."

He spotted Samus' distressed look and quickly changed his demeanor. "But, Samus, talk with me as if I was Gray Voice himself. There is no difference between the man and the memory. Please, let me have one final conversation with the woman that I have been proud to look after for most of her life."

Samus did not know what to think. She turned away and furtively glanced behind her, expecting to be alone in the hallway again. She breathed in and out in rapid succession, quite sure that she was hallucinating. As she looked back and forth, she could feel the icy touch of her blood in her veins start to warm, adjusting to the revelation. She took another deep breath and swiveled her feet, firmly planting her stance across from Gray Voice. Her hand held her cheek, fighting the urge to pinch herself for fear that after all this time, she had finally gone mad.

"I…" she stammered before finally surrendering herself to her desires. "I…_missed_ you, Gray."

The Chozo smiled in relief, dipping his head graciously. "And I have missed you too, Samus. When I look at you now, I can no longer see the young and scared girl that we ushered in all those years ago. Now, you have become your own strong and confident person, a woman grown. You certainly have become all we have asked of you."

"But…is this what _you_ wanted me to become?" Samus asked, her eyes pleading. "Or was it what _I _wanted? Did I even have a choice?"

Gray Voice lifted a hand, beckoning for Samus to follow. She caught up to him and timed her long gait to match the Chozo's slow and deliberate pace as they walked down the hallway together. "Would you have wished anything less for yourself if your parents had not been taken away, Samus?" he asked. "Would you have found peace with your life had everything gone as normally as it could have?"

"I don't know, maybe," Samus admitted, staring through the glass tubes at the molten rock that flowed around them, bathing the chamber in an orange glow. "I…never really thought about it much."

"That's understandable," Gray Voice said. "But consider this, when we found you, hurt but alive on that world you called home, would you have wanted a lesser life for yourself after that? Would you have wanted to be anywhere else, away from conflict and hate when all you had known had been taken away from you?"

"No," Samus said, steel in her eyes. "I would have wanted to fight."

"Then, you see, you made your choice long ago, Samus. You could have left at any time but you remained. Even after we modified you for a long-term stay, we had no legitimate claim over you. We offered to teach you our ways and you accepted them without as much as a second thought. Do you feel that you have not done enough, Samus? Do you think that I should have insisted on taking you to be with your own kind?"

"I don't know," Samus sighed as her arms hung loosely by her sides. "I don't even know what my true purpose is anymore, Gray. I have become the soldier you wanted me to be, the person I always envisioned myself to be for as long as I can remember, but…I _do_ feel that I have not done enough. What has warranted me to be your successor, to be the protector of the galaxy? I want…I _want_ to protect everyone, I do! It's just that…I don't know if I can do this, Gray. If I have to sacrifice myself, I will, because I want to save everyone but I have to know…is _that_ going to be the fate you always planned for me?"

Gray Voice fixed Samus with a long look, stopping in the middle of the path. He closed his eyes mournfully, taking a slow breath before rapturing Samus with his kindly gaze, letting the corners of his mouth lift microscopically. "Follow me," he said, sweeping an arm down a side path. "I will not let you be a sacrifice today, Samus. I would think that I would have been sufficient enough in that regard."

"Then what is my fate?" Samus begged, almost shouting at the Chozo's back. "What am I supposed to _do?_"

Gray Voice stopped so that Samus was back at his side. "What I can do for you," he assured her, "is ensure that you will not make the same mistakes that I made. I can promise you that you will inherit our will, Samus. You _can_ achieve victory today and all you have to do is trust me."

"But how will I know what to do next? I can't do this alone, Gray!"

"I will give you the confidence to do so," the Chozo said in determination. "You will soon know what you have to do. And Samus, known that you are never alone." Gray Voice gave a kindly smile and a brisk wave. "Allow me to take us off this morbid chain of thoughts. There are more challenges ahead but set those aside for now, and let us talk as we once did as we travel. I want to listen to what you have been doing in the past few years."

Samus' mind was jumbled so intensely that she found it strange that she could dispel all of her burning questions to acknowledge Gray Voice's request. The memories flowing forth to her, she began to indulge him as they both calmly began to walk back down the corridor.

* * *

In the shadow of a planetoid, the two armies viciously converged on the other, giant metal teeth gnashing at the bit, looking to snag their prey. Tiny blips of yellow and red dotted the space between the planet and its cratered moon, a sea of fiery flowers blooming in the field.

The silvery clouds of the nebula were aglow from the binary star system billions of miles away. The two stars hurled their gravitational forces on the other, spilling their gases and exchanging the wispy material between them. Hues of blue and orange fluttered through the silky cloud, creating a milky glow that smothered the fighting on the fringes of civilized space.

Expanding in perfect spheres, radio signals beamed into the far reaches of space, the only sound that traveled through the void as they sped on through the smothered roars of the dying ships. Requests for aid and war cries fluttered between ships, all screaming the call of battle. Beams as thin as needles glittered in the dark, spouting through space to gently touch the hull of enemy ships. With a flutter of plasma, metal blew apart and melted, causing the oxygen in the craft to quickly become sucked out in a violent decompression. Dead and crippled ships floated aimlessly, creating obstacles on the battlefield to block the way of incoming shots.

Only the sizzle from the outbound ion beam of the cruiser _Plano_ blast reached the ears of Adam Malkovich, who stood in the middle of the bridge. He had no time to concentrate on such stimuli like sounds, order had to be maintained and leadership needed to be enforced, necessitating the drowning out of such distractions. He barked out a command to a bomber fleet hiding behind a rogue asteroid and ordered them to make a run on the Pirate frigate starting to appear from the far side of the moon. A wink of green on the display board indicated their acknowledgement and their icon started to move, headed for the red target painted at the end of the screen.

From the viewport, Malkovich managed a tight grin as he saw the bombers hit their mark, creating an electric blue flare that signaled the dying of the frigate. A small victory.

"Sir!" a technician called.

"What is it?" Malkovich shouted.

"I'm picking up a breach in the space-time fabric at the minimum edge of the planet's gravitational influence. Sir, it appears that the Pirates are going to make a jump. They're retreating!"

Cheers erupted from around the bridge but Malkovich silenced them with a wave. "Do you have their destination, Ensign?"

"Positioning puts them at the star FS-176. Only habitual planet in that system is Zebes, sir."

"Then follow that fleet!" Malkovich hollered. "Don't let them out of our sight, no matter the cost!"

"Sir," a lieutenant protested. "We're current at forty-five percent capability right now. We might be running into a trap and which will mean that we will be unable to fight our way out if sufficiently surrounded."

"Then relay to all ships closest to the vicinity of Zebes that I command them to regroup there! The Pirates are trying to make a stand and we cannot let them gain the confidence for a counterattack! Helmsman, all ahead full!"

"Aye-aye, sir," the helmsman said neutrally. "Setting a course for Zebes. All ships prepare to initiate hyperspace jump on my mark. Fighters, return to your ships. Stand by."

As he clutched onto the railing in front of him, as the first wave of stars began to streak by the viewport, all Malkovich could think of was the pained warrior that was on Zebes at this moment. The Pirates' retreat to that planet was no coincidence, something was happening there. Could it be that Samus had finally disrupted the Space Pirate war machine? Or was it a preventive action out of fear, to protect the leadership that lay housed within the interior of the planet itself?

Either way, Samus was in danger, and there was no way that she could take on an entire armada by herself. Malkovich knew that going to help her would just result in a derisive snort from the woman, _if_ she somehow survived. She was never one to show her gratitude at being rescued so openly, but this was mainly for his conscience rather than hers. Malkovich didn't want Samus to die, nor did he want there to be any notion that she _could_ die to irritate him within his mind. She was a good soldier, a bit of an awkward friend, but a person who had the capability to change things for the better.

Malkovich was not envious of Samus. He had always realized that she always had the potential to make a difference in the galaxy ever since he first met her. He had to build his capabilities in order to become a leader, but Samus was born into her role. She was never arrogant about her abilities, a quality which had always impressed Malkovich. He knew that if he had the power to do some of the miracles that Samus could do, he would certainly prove to be more weak-willed by bragging about his skills rather than keeping them as low key as possible.

But that was why Samus had to return home alive; she was not a tool to be used to defeat her enemies but a person surrounded by pain, helpless to change the fate of the people around her, despite her wondrous powers. Samus did not deserve martyrdom because it would just be an insult to her memory. Perhaps, with this mission, her burdens could be freed and she could finally live the normal life she had always been entitled to. Maybe…just maybe, she could be saved from her demons.

His face hardening as the frigate lurched into hyperspace, Malkovich gripped the sides of his desk so hard that his knuckles turned white. Anxiety rising within him, he hoped that he would not arrive too late to lend the lady his assistance.

"Lady…" he whispered, smiling as he remembered Samus' bemused expression when he first called her that. "It suits you more than you think."

* * *

The arthropod-like appearance of the Space Pirate hopped up the stone ledge, its claws already splayed out. It sniffed the air, detecting a faint musk that drew it near a hut at the edge of the settlement. Clicking its jaw together, the alien growled as it crouch-walked forward, knowing that the rest of its squad was not far behind.

As it approached the shack, the Pirate pushed aside the cloth covering the entryway and poked its head in. It barely got time to witness a darkened silhouetted crammed in the corner before a burst of light flared from within, causing the Pirate to be propelled backwards, now headless.

The noise drew the attention of the five other Pirates in the immediate area and they stopped their reconnaissance at the same time the towering form of Mauk lumbered from out of the shack, an enormous shotgun clutched in his hands. Making him even more dangerous was the contraption that he had strapped to his back: two automatic pulse rifles that utilized motion detectors and state-of-the-art scanners to track enemy combatants that Mauk could not otherwise tackle all at once. They tilted on their limited axis and started firing as soon as Mauk was clear from the hut.

Mauk's temper was searing to the point of him boiling over that he did not even care about the incredible amounts of heat being projected so close to his eyes from the pulse rifles. Sweat poured down his face, stinging and wet, but he just focused on lifting his shotgun and fired once more at the hip and bisected another Pirate completely, sending the halves splattering to the ground. The rear-mounted guns were doing their job admirably; several of the alien invaders fell with smoking holes in their chests and several limped off the battlefield with their remaining limbs. Mauk lost count of how many he had killed today as he continued to wade in the whirlwind of blood, as his only focus was wiping this scum off the face of his home planet at any cost.

He had been granted leave from the Federation to defend his homeworld, Jamoru, at the very first sign of trouble. The planet itself sat on the edge of Federation space and was thus more vulnerable to a Pirate invasion. As soon as he was able, Mauk had hurried back to Jamoru and began digging in for a siege, caused when thousands among thousands of Pirates had made planetfall, intent on making this planet their next forward base of operations. Like Mauk was going to let that happen anytime soon.

Mauk ducked a clumsy swing from a nearby Pirate. Grunting, he answered with a firm crack across its jaw with his shotgun. The Pirate was dead even before it hit the floor. He was feeling quite tired, but it was only background noise. With every enemy Mauk dispatched, he only got more incensed.

A bolt hit the stone face near his ear and Mauk made a hasty retreat into the abandoned village. His people had moved into the safety of the nearby caves at the first sign of trouble, but he was the only warrior left in the area. All of the other males were elsewhere on the planet, looking to spread the resistance any way they could. Unfortunately, the village's technology was still too primitive to call for help. As far as he was concerned, Mauk was on his own for now.

Another Pirate foolishly rounded the corner without looking first, and Mauk dropped him with a blast to the chest. The pulse rifles on his back whirred as they turned, spewing twin beams of death at the aliens skirting across the roofs, causing them to topple into the alleyways with gaping wounds in their torsos.

The numbers of the enemy were staggering. The shotgun was now definitely starting to feel heavier. Mauk panted, hunching over as he tried to catch his breath, his fierce exertions beginning to take their toll. He couldn't keep this up forever. At this rate, he was going to fall long before his enemies ever would. But, going out fighting was a hell of a lot better than sitting down and dying, in his opinion. Might as well make the most of things.

Ejecting a spent ammo cartridge, Mauk nimbly darted through alleyways, firing his shotgun at anything that moved in front of him. Screeches of pain wafted all around him and the noise of the approaching Pirate horde became unbearable. His pulse rifles whined as they slowly became overheated, the amount of motion not giving them a chance to cool down. The metal was starting to singe his fur as it became hot to the touch, so Mauk quickly shoved the apparatus off his back. He felt a lot lighter, but now he was even less armed than before.

With a sigh, Mauk charged through the abandoned market avenue, barreling over Space Pirates as he did so. Bright green bolts smashed into the ground at his feet, sending up globules of plasma. He tucked his feet and rolled to the side, crashing through a storefront to end up in the back room of the establishment. Surrounded by fallen comestibles, Mauk had only time to see a crowd of Space Pirates gathering at the door, preparing to fire upon his temporarily still body.

"_Hey!_" a new voice roared out suddenly. "_Over here, you sons of bitches!_"

Like clockwork, all of the Pirates immediately turned to face the source of the noise, shifting their aim away from Mauk. They did not remain distracted for long as the rapid pulsating beat of a chain gun ripped through the abandoned village, the bullets carving their way through the crowd of Pirates so conveniently clumped together in the road.

Blood sprayed in a fine mist as the heavy machine gun chewed the aliens up. Bones shattered, faces disappeared, and the stone walls quickly became a different color as the projectiles launched their way through. Mauk instinctively brought himself low to the ground, watching as a few bullets completely zipped through the stone walls of the pantry, leaving neat little puncture marks.

As the final Pirate fell with half its head missing, the loud gun in the distance quieted. Mauk still remained lying down, even as a soft crunching from boots on dirt came closer and closer. He carefully aimed his shotgun at the entrance, now noting that the ammo had run dry, rendering the weapon somewhat useless. Regardless, Mauk held the gun up to his face, the cold sweat on his neck mightily apparent as the makings of a huge gun began to peek from the corner.

"Nice beard, Mauk," the new arrival said drolly as he stepped inside. "You need a hand, old friend?"

"Kreatz!" Mauk gaped in amazement as he quickly stood up to embrace the smaller man in a fierce hug. "What are you _doing_ here?"

"_Gerroff me_…" Kreatz mumbled as his face was squished against Mauk's chest. "Can't breathe…you oaf…"

"Oh, sorry," Mauk grinned sheepishly as he released Kreatz.

Panting hard, Kreatz adjusted the camouflage jacket he wore before brushing a hand through his spiked hair. The chain gun he toted in one arm was gently deposited on the ground and kicked aside, leaving room for the two men to catch their breath.

"You still haven't answered my question," Mauk laughed as he clapped his friend on the back. "Why the hell are you even here?"

"Your gratitude is overwhelming," Kreatz said with a snarky grin. "Ah, I was in the neighborhood and thought you could use a hand. I brought you a present, by the way."

Kreatz rummaged in his pocket and came out with a handful of shotgun ammo packs. Mauk eagerly took them and began jamming the ammunition into the gun's slot. "You're a lifesaver, Kreatz. But I thought that you would be back on your own planet, defending it from these Pirate bastards."

"That's what I thought too, only I got there to find out that my people already took care of the bulk of the threat hours earlier. I figured, since I missed the fun there, I might as well join up with my good friend Mauk and join the party that he was hosting. Just in time for drinks, by the looks of things."

"Well, you certainly picked a good time to show up," Mauk said gratefully as he racked the shotgun's slide. "We're kind of spoilt for choice at the moment."

"Don't I know it," Kreatz shrugged. "Which is why I had the good fortune to run into a few guys beforehand that wanted an invite on the guest list as badly as I did."

With a thunderous roar, Mauk saw several black and gray blurs sprint past the door opening. His interest piqued, he craned his neck outside to see several of his people, the males from the various war parties, rush into the Pirates around the village. Some cradled guns but most preferred to tear apart the insectoid aliens with their bare hands. A howl of victory rose from the Simians and many of the Pirates turned tail and fled. Mauk glanced back to Kreatz in amazement who merely shrugged again.

"What?" he asked sincerely. "Surely you didn't think that _I _would be your only backup, right?"

"You never know," Mauk admitted. "Perhaps some of Samus' attitude managed to rub off on your thick skull after all this time." That gave him pause. "_Samus_…I wonder what she's up to."

"Oh, you hadn't heard?" Kreatz said as he lifted the chain gun again, now walking out into the cleared streets. "She went ahead of the Federation fleet and infiltrated Zebes. All by herself, as usual."

"Sounds typical of her. Think she can handle all that alone?"

"I'm confident in her abilities," Kreatz grinned. "But…it was kind of rude of her not to extend us an invite." He paused to let loose with his gun, spraying a Pirate's guts all over the side of local establishment. "I'm just saying, a little backup probably wouldn't hurt all that much."

"Is that your idea of inviting me on another suicide mission with you?" Mauk responded coolly with an arched eyebrow.

"Well, when you put it like that…" Kreatz said. "So what do you say? Want to go on one last mission together?"

"I'm all for it," Mauk laughed with a fierce smile.

"Then Zebes it is," Kreatz said. "After we liberate _your_ planet of course. That would just be selfish of me to steal you away at a time like this."

In the distance, the duo could see the approaching crowd of Pirates surging in their direction. The warriors of Jamoru were putting up a fight, keeping the invaders at bay. The sight alone would cause many a person to cower and flee, but Kreatz and Mauk looked upon it like it was another ordinary day for them, just simply a requirement of the duty they signed up for.

"Besides," Kreatz shrugged, "You _know_ that I can't resist a good fight…"

"…And you'll be damned if you can't get in on this one," Mauk finished with a sly smirk. "Kreatz, my friend, let's go to work."

"With pleasure," his friend said as they both jumped into the fray, the barrels of their guns blazing all of the hellfire in the universe.

* * *

The walkway finally led out of the caverns and now extended to a covered bridge overlooking a ravine. Samus did not blink at the bright sunlight or even acknowledge the outside view. She kept her gaze firmly situated on Gray Voice, never leaving his line of sight as they walked side-by-side, through the Chozoian facility, the clink of their heels along the metal floor the only sounds interrupting their conversation.

Gray Voice blinked at something Samus had just said. "They actually were contemplating _discharging_ you? For going to Zebes?"

"Something like that," Samus said with a meek look, followed by an embarrassed turn of her head. "After all, when I came to…err, _rescue_ you, I had technically done that against orders. I was supposed to be on another planet helping with the recovery efforts when the distress signal you sent out came along."

"So they just slapped a court-martial upon you once you escaped?"

"Not exactly," Samus shook her head. "I decided at the moment they informed me of what they were going to do that I didn't want to be restricted by an organization any longer in my life. I wanted to stake out on my own, become an individual instead of a cog thrown in the machine. So I elected to dishonorably discharge myself early in lieu of going through the farce of a court-martial."

Gray Voice stopped in the middle of the path, the shadows of the walkway's pillars making it look like bars were thrown over his face. "Then they had no knowledge at what you had sacrificed to get to Zebes. Do you think it was all worth it, Samus?"

Samus looked away, out into the sunrise, before answering him. "It's hard to say," she admitted. "I don't think I had much choice in doing what I did, both in my resignation and my going to Zebes. I was taught to preserve all life, Gray, so I don't think that I regret disobeying orders to save the Chozo…even if I did mess it up a lot."

"Mess up?" Gray Voice tilted his head. "Why, Samus, you did better than I ever could have hoped."

The Chozo gave a tiny chuckle and proceeded onwards, leaving Samus momentarily behind. She faltered for a second before she caught up with him, confusion etched all over her face. "_Better?_" she gaped. "Gray, I _cracked_ the last time I was here! I collapsed in a sniveling mess in front of you! I thought you really _had_ turned, along with Mother. How was I supposed to know that you were playing a role all this time, an act that I was never let on to?!"

"And yet here you are," Gray Voice said mildly. "Would you not agree that the entire encounter has made you stronger as a person? Has there ever been a time in your life since then when you allowed yourself to feel true fear, to be shaken in the face of real danger?"

"Well, no…I mean, it's not like all my work afterward was more difficult…" She stopped for a second and glowered. "You're not saying that you engineered that entire encounter to _benefit_ me, are you?"

Gray Voice shrugged. "Coming to Zebes was your decision, Samus. Would you argue against the fact that you managed to push aside your fear at the end, crafting a stronger shell of armor around you?"

Samus dipped her head, her eyes scanning the floor. "…_No_," she mumbled.

"Then there you are," the Chozo pointed out proudly. He stuck his chin out and waited for Samus to mimic his posture. Somewhat apprehensively, she instinctively copied him and they noiselessly began walking again. "Now that _that's_ out in the open," Gray Voice said amicably, as if he was merely discussing the weather, "I believe you were talking about what happened after you returned from Zebes after your _successful_ mission?"

Samus noted the adjective and twitched her nose in slight annoyance but kept her mouth shut on that point. "What else is there to tell? I got out, went on my own for a couple months, and then decided to start work as a bounty hunter just to keep myself financially afloat. That's all there is to it."

"You have no regrets leaving the military? No longing to return to your old life whatsoever?"

"Why? Being a bounty hunter, I have the freedom to explore the galaxy and take on whatever jobs that come my way. That's all I did for the first few years. I didn't think of it as quitting, but I always wondered what would have happened had I not chosen to come back to Zebes."

"You would not have confronted your inner torment, Samus. You would not have been stronger if you had not come."

"Strong?" she replied with a mirthless laugh. "I never thought of myself as strong, Gray. Not for…a long time."

Gray Voice gave a solitary shake of his head. "Trust me," he said. "You _are_ strong, Samus. You just don't know how strong you really are."

With a flourish, the Chozo turned towards the next adjacent doorway, the surface opening at just the lightest touch. He led Samus into a large room with hieroglyphics lining the walls, empty except for the statue at the far side that depicted an armored Chozo holding out one of its many gifts, yet another representation of the generosity of the species. Samus remembered playing around such statues as a child and she smiled at the happy thought.

"Why am I here, Gray?" she asked, her voice echoing amongst the ruins. "What is it you would have of me?"

Gray Voice stepped in front of the statue, his poise perfectly straight. "I would have our will restored," he announced before he placed his palm upon the orb that the stone Chozo held out. Glowing inward with orange light, the stone sphere abruptly cracked down the middle, spraying dust into the air. The pieces crumbling away, Samus was shocked to see a bright sphere of red pulsating from within the statue, surrounded by twin orbits of blue plasma, sitting there this whole time in the stone carving's cupped hands.

Gray Voice held his own hand out to Samus as he cocked his head towards the glowing offering. "I left this for you a long time ago, knowing that you would be back here eventually. It is now time for you to claim your inheritance."

Samus was still befuddled as she didn't even know what Gray Voice was actually referring to, but she walked forward all the same. The fiery red ball was odd in nature, its usage inexplicable, but Samus had the notion that she should reach out and touch the glowing energy that the stone Chozo clamped its claws around. For some insane reason, she felt that was the right thing to do – the _only_ thing to do.

At the very instant her fingertips brushed the energy sphere, Samus half expected for her skin to sting from a burn, but the odd singularity reacted much differently than she expected. Quickly, in blurs of red and orange, the orb shot itself upward, scaling itself along Samus' arm and around her body. Startled, Samus instinctively shut her eyes but relaxed as she felt a familiar sensation embrace her once again. The light began to harden and Samus felt her strength increase. She realized what was happening and let out a laugh in disbelief, gazing down at herself in astonishment as the glow finally ebbed away, leaving her standing magnificently in the hall.

"What…is…this?" Samus could only gasp as she raised her new gauntleted hand in marvel.

Where she had been standing just seconds before in a flimsy bodysuit, Samus now stood encased in a brand new suit of armor. The last one had been shaded mostly yellow with a red chestplate and helmet, but this one had a new orange tint over her arms and legs. Her lower torso, chestplate, and helmet retained their colors of yellow and red, respectively, but Samus' once blue visor was now an acid green. She looked over herself and noticed that the shin guards of this suit were more angular, and that the shoulder plates were bulkier, much more spherical. Her eyes gleefully scanned over her HUD, finding that this suit, whatever it was, had been equipped with a full load of energy tanks, missiles, and several other abilities and weapons that she had never been privy to in her entire life. She had no words to describe how she was feeling at the moment.

"You could call this parental affection," Gray Voice chuckled politely. "This is your key to achieving your victory, Samus. This is the Varia Suit."

"The Varia Suit…" Samus repeated as she ran her hand along the side of her arm cannon, noting the additional slots that enabled different forms of ammunition. "Gray…I…I don't know what to say…"

"You don't need to say it," Gray Voice said with a wave of his hand. "I know what you're feeling. And I can now rest easy, knowing that I have completed my task."

"C-Completed?" Samus said with a start. "Gray…you…you can't leave me now!"

"I'm not leaving you, Samus," Gray Voice said as he edged toward the far wall, his hands tightly clasped together. "I live on inside you, within your very genes. I could never leave you. Now that I have guided you to this place, all that is left for you to accomplish is our final command: to put our mistakes right. You can do this, Samus, and I will always be able to guide you. I'm just glad that I could see our greatest success through to the end, our most wondrous achievement…"

"Wait!" Samus begged as she could have sworn that the Chozo's outline began to fade. "Father, please don't go!"

That gave Gray Voice pause, his expression blanching. "_F-Father?_" he gaped. "Why…why did you call me that?"

"Because it's the _truth_!" Samus emphasized firmly, tears already stinging her eyes. "I _am_ your daughter, in blood and in spirit. I may have had different parents, but you're the only father that I have ever known, Gray."

Across the way, the Chozo cracked the biggest smile Samus had ever seen him give. "You…" he now fumbled, caught up with emotion, "…honor me…my child." With a grateful and emotional laugh, he dipped his head in a bow. Before he vanished into the shadows, his golden eyes gave off a familiar glint. "Goodbye, Samus," he whispered, his robes flapping into nothing. "Know that I always love you, my _daughter_."

"_I love you_…" Samus whispered back as she watched the memory of the Chozo finally vanish into thin air, his cloak making a final snap. Samus stared at the spot where Gray Voice had last stood for a long time, some part of her mind praying for the void to give her back to him. There were so many more things that she wanted to talk to him about, just something, anything!

Why couldn't there be more time?

She turned to leave, her entire body straining not to look back when she became aware of a dripping noise in the corner. It was so slight that she thought she had imagined it, but then a quiet splash became picked up by the helmet's sensitive audio receptors. It also showed a low timbre in her visual audio representation in the corner of her visor that seemed to be timed precisely to the beat of a large animal's breathing. On a hunch, Samus tilted her head up slowly, not knowing what to expect.

As soon as she spotted the terrible outline silhouetted in the rafters, the daylight streaming through the venous membrane, Samus felt a feral growl erupt from her throat. "_YOU!_" she bellowed, jumping into a battle stance.

"That's right, human!" Ridley cackled as he dropped down to the ground. His tail whipped around and sped straight towards Samus, intent on piercing her heart. She tucked and rolled, however, the serrated edges just missing her side. "Your nightmare has returned to haunt you once more!"

Ridley tucked his wing and smashed it down, but Samus jumped away from the blow. She unloaded on the dragon's hide with her power beam, but the bullets merely caused Ridley to flinch away, not causing him any real harm.

"You're no longer my nightmare, Ridley!" Samus countered. "I'm not afraid of you anymore!"

"You will always be a weak, frightened girl!" Ridley roared. "A pathetic human like you can never stand up to the likes of me! Before me, _you are nothing!_"

Ridley raised his head and unleashed a long pillar of flame, headed straight in Samus' direction. She was too slow to react to the attack, as her momentum was currently situated in the other direction, and she let out a cry as the flame wrapped around her…

…And abruptly faded. Samus blinked and looked down in astonishment. The exterior of her Varia Suit was untarnished by the flame. She did not feel pained, nor did her energy levels reflect a change in her status for the worse. Astonishment slowly transitioning into confidence, a broad smile spread across Samus maniacally. Of course! The Varia Suit had the ability to protect her from heat and flame! With this new knowledge, Samus began to advance, her worry rapidly fading away.

"How is this possible?" Ridley asked, wondering why the human had not been burnt to a crisp by now.

"I could tell you how," Samus growled as she flicked a control on her arm cannon, watching the panels shift to reveal a cool blue light from the cracks. "But I think it will be better to _show_ you."

Before Ridley could evade, Samus whipped her cannon up and fired a purple pulse of energy his way. The wave beam sizzled as the strands of energy snaked through the air and Ridley screeched as the beam jolted through his body, the first sound of pain that Samus had ever heard from him.

_He can be hurt, therefore he can be killed!_

"I'm _your_ nightmare now, Ridley!" Samus yelled. "_I'm_ the one who will end you on this day!"

"Never!" Ridley screamed, still shaken from the attack as he took flight. "I will finish what I should have done all those years ago, human! I killed your mother, I killed Gray Voice, and now I will kill _you!_"

"You stupid fool," Samus growled. "You lost your chance to kill me a long time ago. You're a coward that couldn't even eliminate a tiny little girl all that time ago. And when I have you begging for your life, helpless just like your victims, you will finally call me by my name before I end your wretched existence once and for all!"

Ridley's claws scraped the ground, intending to snatch Samus up into the air. She dodged the attack handily, countering with another wave beam burst that caused Ridley's hide to smoke. The injured dragon only flew higher, his expression becoming more clouded with worry.

"Your name means nothing to me, human!" he cried. "You will regret mocking me and when you finally fall at _my_ hands, your memory will be forgotten for all eternity!"

"Is that so?" Samus taunted. "Well then, watch what one pathetic human can do!"

With a roar, Ridley dived, his mouth spewing liquid fire. Samus stood in place, weathering the storm, and as soon as Ridley was directly overhead, she fired a flurry of missiles straight into his torso. The concussive burst from the amplified projectiles knocked Ridley out of the air, creating a mini-shockwave that shook the walls. The Space Pirate leader coughed as he impacted with the ground after falling from a tremendous height, his wings shredded from the explosion. Blood dripped off of him in a thousand places, making the floor slippery underneath him. And just meters away, Samus began to stalk in the background.

Panicked, Ridley began to claw himself forward, but Samus raised her gun again and roared, "_Stay there!_" Two frosty white bursts were flung from the muzzle and Ridley looked down in horror to see that his two front hands were inexplicably frozen to the floor, coated in a thick lay of ice. His bones felt chilled and the intense cold felt like a scorch upon his skin.

The ice was too strong for Ridley to wrench himself out of, but simply burning his way out would also badly sear his hands as well. Suddenly afraid, Ridley belted out a plasma burst at Samus, hoping to delay her as he worked to free himself. She did not even make a move to evade the attack, simply choosing to let the fireball wash over her without incident. Completely astonished, Ridley expelled several more plasma bursts in quick succession, but they did now slow down his attacker any, merely delaying her approach.

"_Human_…" he gasped out.

Samus stopped walking forward when she was inches away from Ridley's gaping maw. Watching the trapped dragon breathe heavily, she gripped her arm cannon in preparation. "You may call me '_Samus_,' Ridley, because it will be the last thing _you_ will remember before you die." She tilted her head and whispered with all the rage she could muster, "Does that sound familiar, bastard?"

With a wrenching cry, Ridley threw his body backwards and finally yanked his hands free from the infernal ice, the chunks of frozen liquid already beginning to melt. He stomped forward, trying to claw the armored human in half, grunting in frustration as she nimbly leaped outside his reach every time.

"It does not matter what I call you, human! You seem to think that you're going to win, but you're just as foolish as Gray Voice! And now I will prove to him that his 'weapon' was never worthy of my attention!"

Unleashing a hellish scream, Ridley shot his body forward and flung himself upon Samus, his jaw opened wide. His sharp teeth began to close around the orange form, his gullet awaiting the arrival of the human. But Samus had one more trick up her sleeve. She ground her feet into the floor and sprinted off, pure white now enveloping her form, ducking underneath Ridley's attack. She sped through the room, her heart in her mouth, a song in her ears, and a rising feeling in her chest.

Everything seemed to be running in slow-motion now, while her feet looked like a blur down below. She glanced at the words "SPEED BOOSTER ENABLED" at the bottom of her HUD and grinned like a fool. A huge pressure upon Samus' back indicated that her rear thrusters had engaged, propelling her forward. But this was a different sort of velocity than she ever could have imagined; she felt invincible like this.

With a grunt of joy between her teeth, she leaped and found good purchase upon the wall. Thanks to her immense speed, Samus kept on putting her feet in front of the other, one by one, and found that she was still running sideways, planted on the surface by the centrifugal forces being projected upon her. She craned her neck as she ran around Ridley, now firmly situated at his backside. The dragon had realized that he had missed his target at this point, but he had still failed to flop to the ground thanks to the intensity of his momentum.

Pushing with all her might, Samus willed her feet to travel as fast as they could as she rounded the final corner. As the right side of Ridley's head came into view, she knew then it was time. Samus immediately tucked her knees and pushed off, becoming a white-hot bolt through the sky. Ridley did not even see her coming. Samus saw something in the corner of her vision, a smiling woman that called her name, eliciting the familiar scent of soap. On the other side stood a tall Chozo, a pleased expression on his face. Both figures whispered to her, assured her, and reinforced their love for her. Knowing that she was not alone, Samus focused her body with all her might and became a comet, shooting through the air with the might of a thousand suns.

With a final scream of a broken soul, Samus pushed her cannon forward and fired her last missile at the creature's head as it rapidly expanded in her view. There was a muffled boom and a cloud of smoke and blood, and Samus abruptly found herself tumbling around on the ground, the effects of the Speed Booster finally wearing off. Steam wisped off her body as the exterior cooled down from the friction. Grunting, Samus got to her feet and slowly aimed her weapon back at Ridley, who was still crawling on the ground like a worm.

The dragon turned his head to face her, revealing a horrid sight to Samus. The entire right side of Ridley's face was pulp. Skin and muscle hung in red tatters down his face. His right eye was now a black pit, gleaming white bone protruding from underneath. Ragged muscle dangled over his jaw and expelled blood heavily while he pathetically tried to drag himself forward, his arms giving out as he moved a few meters.

Ridley's lone eye stared directly at her, wide and fearful, no longer angry and slit. "Sa…_Samus_…" he coughed, expelling a thin cloud of smoke. "_P-Please_…"

Begging was not a new concept to Samus. She had witnessed her targets plead for life, despite the horrors they did in the past. It always took a great deal of self-control to not give in to her anger and dispose of them right then and there. Of course, that was if the bounties dictated that her targets were worth more alive and that she had to be in a merciful mood in order to oblige their request.

She was not feeling merciful today.

"Burn in hell, Ridley," Samus simply said before she tabbed a control on her cannon and unleashed a great shaft of fire, her plasma beam immediately smothering the damned creature.

Ridley screeched as his skin began to melt, the flames consuming his body. Fat dribbled down him, sloughing off of his bones, blackening them. His remaining eye popped from the heat and dribbled down his face. The screams of the dragon did not make Samus flinch away. Rather, she watched Ridley burn to death with all of the vindication possible for one to feel.

Still, Ridley was throwing himself upon the ground, desperately trying to douse the flames, but his movements were simply exacerbating his immolation. He vomited, throwing up a dark bloody liquid before the fat around his stomach disintegrated. Ridley's guts fell into his own searing hands, causing him more unbearable pain than before. His intestines slipped over his fingers, the flames licking at his organs. With a mournful cry of confusion as the fire wrapped around him, Ridley threw his head back and wailed his last sound, a pitiful cry, before he finally collapsed, twitched once, and lay still.

Samus watched the pyre smolder some more, even going so far as to put another missile into Ridley's cranium, just to confirm that he was well and truly dead. When the last of the flames died down to reveal a skeleton, charred so black it crumbled at the touch, Samus at last felt hope take her by the hand, letting her soar in the clouds with the future as bright as the morning in front of her.

She fell to her knees and howled a roar that stretched to the heavens, one that streaked through the smoke and the rock. Samus screamed for the fallen, for the living, all because her tormentor was dead. It was for the childhood she never had, for what he made her into. She could not remember making a noise so loud before; it lasted long inside her helmet after her breath had run out.

Reduced to a trembling ball on the ground, Samus gasped heavily as she began crying, the knowledge that she had avenged her mother and Gray Voice too intense for her to even move, that Ridley was _dead_. She could still see them in her head; they knelt in front of her and congratulated her, saying that they were so proud of her. Samus smiled weakly, her hand stretching out so that she might grasp them – to hold them one last time, but their comforting grip never came to her dismay.

It was a while after she began to accept that she had been alone all this time did Samus finally stand up and head over to the door, not looking any longer at Ridley's remains. Her eyes felt raw and her lungs felt scratchy, but she never felt as ready as this before. With her pounding heart, Samus took a moment to catch her breath in the hallway before she gave a shake of her head and moved on to the road to Tourian, a new fire igniting in her chest.

There was still a mission that needed completing.

* * *

_**A/N: Ding-dong, Ridley's dead. And good riddance, too. This was definitely one of my favorite chapters to write (it had a ton of emotion) so let me know what you thought of it.**_

_**Also, it is the right time to point out that this was the last chapter of the manga that could be adapted (technically - I did leave off a few pages). But, good news, this story will continue! That means that the next chapter will be all original content and not adapted from the source material, which disappointingly ended on a cliffhanger. This way, you get the whole story and don't have to fill in any of the blanks yourself.**_

_**So get set, there's one more boss left to face.**_

_**Also, I should point out that in this chapter and in the last one, there were some scenes with Damara in the manga that focused on her back at the capital in her classes and outside that did not make the cut into this story. I chose not to adapt these scenes because there was no ultimate payoff from their inclusion and merely served to needlessly bloat the story. Therefore, I figured I could get away with not including those scenes.**_

_**Heh, I might just make 125,000 words yet.**_


	17. Chapter 17: Legacy

The lift to Tourian gently whirred as it dropped down, depositing the lone rider at the bottom of the shaft. They stepped off of it cautiously and found a foreboding looking hallway extending for what seemed like a mile off into the distance. Samus raised her cannon to her hip and took a breath, beginning the long march forward, finding the silence disconcerting.

She did not even recognize the place for it had changed so much. Tourian had been the most advanced sector of the entire Chozo facility, but even the prior tenants had chosen to implement a simpler touch by having all of the walls and ceilings be made out of stone while the floor itself was made out a brushed metal. Sort of like acknowledging the more advanced direction technology was taking them and paying homage to it by subtly updating the interior style.

The area in front of her now looked nothing like that. Every single conceivable aspect of the hallway was coated in a shining metal alloy, gleaming and sparkling as her boots clacked down the chamber. A few cobwebs accumulated at the corners from disuse but otherwise the entire area looked brand new. It looked too sterile to Samus, too out of place. It just felt _wrong_.

Samus went over the map of Tourian in her head, despite the differences in the area's appearance. She surmised that the alternate lift area she had just exited was about a couple hundred meters away from the main chamber, presumably where Mother was located. To get there, she would have to pass through a laboratory and a few halls that Samus presumed were stuffed to the brim with enemies. It would be just like Mother to have a few contingencies in place; that slippery AI was always devious.

Nothing in her heart but cold rage, a craving for the downfall who engineered this cataclysm upon the galaxy, Samus hurried down the hall. She leaped over a few fallen pillars and dead animals, briefly considering their mummified state before she reached the first door. It was locked, as to be expected, but a missile broke the containment shield and allowed her passage into the nightmare.

Samus leaped back as a few fleshy objects immediately shot out of the opening like liquid from a bottle. Instinct taking over, she ducked and rolled as the first of the Metroids raced toward her, intending to partake of her life essence. Samus crouched as one Metroid neared the wall she placed her back against and fired with the first beam that she indicated on her HUD.

The wintery blast smashed into the Metroid and encapsulated it in a block of ice. The gases in the Metroid's nucleus sac still kept it afloat but it could no longer move, literally frozen in place. Samus looked down at her cannon, noting the cool blue color of the ice beam seeping out from the cracks.

"I'll be…" Samus muttered. "They're not immune to _cold_."

Quickly, Samus shifted her aim again and again, firing burst of ice towards the Metroids that had tried to take her in their eagerness. Five of the bulbous creatures soon floated in place, trapped in their freezing prisons. Samus then aimed her arm cannon slowly and precisely at the frozen Metroids and fired a missile at each one. The concussive bursts shattered the blocks of ice, along with the Metroids inside, causing frozen chunks of pulpy flesh to drop down to the ground with a crackling sound. The ice beam and missile combination was so effective that Samus did not find herself out of breath from a confrontation that would normally have elevated her heart rate dramatically.

_Ice, huh? Would've liked to have known that back on SR-388._

She now stepped into the lab and gaped as she looked around herself in wonderment. About a dozen Metroids floated freely around the room, softly chittering as they detected a food source enter their midst. Samus could see several tubes form a ring around the lab, all filled with a greenish liquid – incubation vats. Multiple monitors flickered in the center, illustrating several schematics about the enigmatic creatures that now infested the lab, portraying their foul purpose.

Samus could tell, based on the robotic machinery at work and from the tissue samples that lay housed in a few vats in the center, that Mother had programmed the lab to begin work on flash cloning the infant Metroid as soon as it had been delivered to Zebes. She could not see the infant in this room, but judging by the number of Metroids that Mother had already been able to produce, she surmised that it probably had long perished after its precious cells were obtained by the insane intelligence. Such an intrusive procedure would have been traumatic on the young creature and Mother would not likely have been delicate while attempting to snag viable tissues to draw its genetic material from.

_It's so unfair_, Samus thought sourly. _That Metroid could have been used for good, but Mother just wanted to create an army from it._

Switching back to her ice beam, Samus gave a snarl as the Metroids moved closer. "I was supposed to take responsibility of all of you, but this is beyond what you were intended for. I hope you're watching, Mother, because your future ends right here!"

With a screech, a Metroid opened its mandibles and broke into a dive, straight at Samus. Calmly, she raised her cannon and shot it once with her beam, freezing it, and plowed a fist straight through it when it floated too close to her body. Frozen water and blood misted into the air, and Samus shot air out of her nose in fury.

A clatter of tools on the floor indicated that another Metroid was making a sloppy attempt to get to her, but there were two others in front that were trying to time their successive strikes at the perfect moment. Samus dodged and flipped in midair, grunting as the kinetic generators embedded in her shoulder blades activated, emitting a protective shield of electricity around her. Her body gently nudged the top of a Metroid and the voltage seared into the creature so forcefully that it popped, spewing clear, viscous fluid everywhere.

In the brief lull of the fighting, Samus whirled to the center of the room after landing perfectly from her jump and fired a missile towards the cloning machinery, the necessary components that made Mother's Metroid army all possible. The vital technology components vanished in a roar, spraying the room with debris. Two more Metroids fell as their membranes were brutally slashed by flying shrapnel, their insides dribbling out of their bodies.

The creaking of mounted nutrient vats breaking free of their restraints from the ruckus going on in the room alerted Samus just in time to backflip away from another pouncing Metroid, causing its momentum to barrel into a row of cloning tubes housed on the wall. Rather comically, as the Metroid was shredded by the plate glass of the cylinders, the remaining tubes shook free of the rafters above and plummeted to the ground, taking three more Metroids that had been milling around beneath it with a hefty crash.

Samus shot the last four Metroids with her beam before she blew them apart with her missiles. She then walked the perimeter of the completely trashed laboratory, checking every single Metroid corpse to see if they were still alive. Satisfied that she had killed every last one of them, she incinerated each and every one of them with her plasma beam, even going back out into the previous hallway to burn the first Metroids she had killed.

Fire was an excellent cleanser in this sort of situation. Most cell life could not withstand the punishment of a couple thousand degrees of heat and the usage of the plasma beam would only ensure that Mother would not be able to retrieve any additional DNA from the corpses that Samus left behind in her wake. If she did not survive her encounter with Mother, that is. At least she could forestall the galaxy's destruction if she failed.

The room was starting to fill with smoke from the smoldering corpses, dimly reminding Samus of Ridley's pyre as he had thrashed in misery while dying horrifically. Samus turned away abruptly from the rising inferno, a hard look on her face. There could be plenty of opportunities later to reflect on her actions, but she needed to stay focused right now.

Proceeding into the next hallway, Samus knew that in her head that there was only a service corridor left and a final stairwell before Mother's chamber could be accessed. The thought that she was this close to the AI was too tantalizing for her to resist. Samus almost broke out in a run but stopped as soon as her foot brushed something light on the ground, the sensation dry and yielding.

She looked down and scrunched her face up as she saw the clearly dead carcass of a Sidehopper, a native to Zebes that used its powerful two feet to jump into the air and claw at prey. This confused Samus as she had no idea how such a large creature (it was just as wide as she was tall) could possibly make it this far into Tourian. Mother certainly would not have allowed any pests from the surface access to this sensitive place. Apart from that, the Metroids in the lab certainly could not have killed this Sidehopper; it was too big and too powerful for any one of them to latch onto for a time. It would have shaken them off with ease. But, the crackling skin, the milky eyes, and the alarming rate of decomposition all pointed to signs of a Metroid attack. But if it hadn't been one of those other Metroids, then what could have-?

A large object burst from a tangle of vegetation growing between two pylons without warning. Samus had only a moment to gasp and hastily loose a missile in reaction before an enormous green mass dropped down around her. Two white mandibles immediately clamped down on her sides, pinching her, and Samus winced. Then as a gummy substance began to ooze over her, Samus jolted as pain seemed to erupt from all over her body. It felt to Samus like her very life was being wrenched out of her, tearing the very fabric of her being. Her skin felt like it was rendering apart, her muscles seemed like they were distorting out of shape, and her bones gave off the brutal sensation of being twisted.

Trapped in the gelatinous organism, her body wracked with pain, Samus opened her mouth to give a final shriek, hopelessly wondering why her time had come so quickly, and that she could not stave it off. As soon as the scream left her lips, Samus expected the agony to continue until there was nothing left of her remaining but something odd happened. The pain _stopped_.

The pressure on her sides loosened and she fell forward with a grunt. Her Varia Suit chattered as she helplessly shook, her body fighting to get under control from all of the alarm chemicals sloshing around her system. Her energy levels had taken a large hit but it had not been as debilitating as she had initially feared. Weakly, she lifted her head and automatically froze as the largest Metroid she had ever seen hovered gently over her head, about half the size of her ship.

As opposed to the smaller ones no bigger than her torso, this Metroid was at least twice as tall as Samus, not including the length its fully developed mandibles added to the overall total. It was so large that Samus could see not three but four fully formed red nuclei at the base of its gelatinous body, not including the three micro-nuclei that rimmed the top of the creature. Green veins wrapped around it, eager roots that branched out all over the smooth surface, providing circulation throughout the Metroid's body.

Samus had never seen a Metroid in its larval stage get so big before. Usually after a particular amount of time had passed, the larvae would evolve into the Alpha stage of a Metroid but either this big one had not reached that time limit yet or its size was such a drastic freak of nature that its ability to evolve had been nullified completely.

Still, that did not exactly explain why the Metroid had stopped attacking Samus until it nudged itself closer very tentatively. Samus scurried backwards, astonished but still a bit frightened. Her body still stung, recalling the amount of pain that had been inflicted on her all too well. In response, the Metroid let out a mournful warble and floated forward in smaller increments, as if it was trying to show Samus that it had not meant her any harm. Still confused, Samus got to her feet and switched her cannon to the ice beam behind her back, preparing to level off a burst at the engorged creature. But before that could be accomplished, the Metroid gave a cry that sounded more happy than anything else, giving her pause. It was only then did Samus realize what she was staring at, and her grip on her cannon slackened completely.

"Oh…oh my…" she murmured as she raised her left hand towards the Metroid, an infant no longer.

The Metroid scooted forward until its clear body brushed against Samus' outstretched hand. It felt like she was touching a hard jelly, stiffened by years of stagnation. The Metroid continue to chirp happily, recognizing its "mother." It alternated between its friendly yips to a slow, sad note in intermittent intervals. Samus instinctively rubbed the side of the Metroid, completely flabbergasted.

"You're…" she realized, "You're trying to _apologize_ for attacking me." She kept her voice soft, not wanting to startle or scare the Metroid any more. "It's okay…it's okay. You just didn't recognize me. It's…it will be all right. Everything is okay." Still caressing the gigantic Metroid like one would do to a pet, Samus' eyes widened in amazement. "What has Mother _done_ to you, you poor thing?"

It seemed at the very mention of the intelligence's name, the Metroid gave a shrill cry and floated back up to the ceiling, away from Samus. Startled, Samus held out her hand and stepped forward, no longer frightened, the lingering pain already beginning to subside in intensity. "No, wait!" she called. "It's all right, come back!"

Whether the Metroid could understand her or not was irrelevant in this case, but regardless the creature abruptly waggled a bit in the air before it quickly shot down the hall, in the direction of Mother's chamber. Before Samus could call to it again, it turned down a corner and vanished from sight. Samus cursed and launched herself in the direction the Metroid had traveled, pursuing it through the labyrinth. She passed through the next threshold and bounded down a stairwell, taking the stairs three at a time. Samus was hurtling down the chamber so fast that her boots were denting each and every stair with her footprints, causing the structure's rivets to creak in their housing.

Following the large holes in the wall from which only the Metroid could have created, Samus raced through the next chamber but dug her heels into the ground as soon as she recognized the place. She was now standing in what used to be the convening hall, where all the Chozo would gather to discuss matters of dire importance. The last time she had been here, she recalled, she had been collapsed against the wall while her body had been illuminated by the green glow of the modification tanks, trapped in her infernal nightmare.

The room was entirely bare now, but Samus walked over and knelt down at the spot where she knew she had lain years before. She tried to imagine herself like that once more: scared and trembling in a fetal position. Things had changed dramatically since then as Samus straightened, now an armored god of war instead of a cowering castaway. She would need the warrior now more than ever if she intended to pass into the next chamber and beyond. This was not a galaxy in which both beings in such close proximity to the other could survive at once; one must overthrow the other if there was to be peace.

And the road to peace never resulted from a diplomatic solution, regretfully. It was always through war.

She did not need to shoot the door open to the room beyond; it detected her presence and offered admittance right away. Samus took a breath, steeling herself as she stepped inside, each movement of her feet a conscious effort. The door slammed shut behind her, sealing Samus in total darkness. Her breathing began to elevate and her panic threatened to rise. She swallowed, forcing her nauseating emotions down. If Mother thought that she could intimidate her with a natural childhood inclination that was inherently negative, then the intelligence had a lot to learn about her foe.

Samus pushed on through the blackness and switched her visor to a different wavelength, one of the many gifts that Gray Voice had given her. The outline of the entire chamber soon swooped in front of her, like a wire-frame render. She could see the floor and walls in front of her in shades of white and gray, despite the lack of light. The x-ray wavelength's field of view was more limited than visible light, but Samus, remembering from memory, walked over to the far end of the wall, where the shape of a tall pillar began to appear out of the fog, holding a frightful creature within.

Abruptly, Samus detected a warming of the chamber and she disengaged her x-ray visor back to the normal visible light wavelength. A soft red glow was now being emitted from behind Mother's control pillar, silhouetting the intelligence's vital components. The AI now looked demonic from the outline of the spikes punching through her organic tissue to the piercing white glow from the all-judging eye staring right at the bounty hunter. Long shadows reached all over the walls, grasping for Samus' soul. She did not so much as budge and held her ground to show her defiance. She would not be intimidated, even from this hellish being.

"Hello, Mother," Samus announced as she walked forward, the glow making her armor appear a deep burgundy. "You had to know this was coming."

"Samus, be reasonable," Mother said, her voice projecting from speakers embedded in her column. "You have made your point. Why must this continue any further?"

"Begging for your life, are we?" Samus snorted, amused, still advancing. "That's rather unlike you, Mother. Despite your requests, I'm still disinclined to divert from my current course. I'm not leaving this planet until I know for a fact that you are dead and that's not negotiable."

"So, even after you've avenged your bloodlust, you're still not satiated?" Mother yelled. "Think back at to what you've done, Samus. You just killed Ridley – the culprit of your family's death, you've destroyed all of the Metroids, and now you still intend to kill me? Samus, do you really need to let all this destruction in your wake extend to here, to me? Will killing me really bring you peace?"

"Maybe, maybe not," Samus admitted, but raised her cannon nonetheless, the barrel already wide open. "But it will certainly bring peace to _others_. I will destroy you, as you've destroyed countless individual lives. You've been the mastermind for this entire _cycle_ of destruction. I cannot allow you to live."

Mother seemed to swell in her tank, enraged. "Then, the feeling is completely mutual!"

A static red barrier of Zebetite fizzled to life just feet away from Samus, extending the width of the chamber and cutting her off from Mother. Along the walls, several panels popped free and long barrels extended from the depths beyond. In seconds, turrets bristled from all directions and took aim at the bounty hunter, who was whirling around as she tried to get a fix on how many guns there were before the entire room seemed to erupt in gunfire.

With a rush, Samus engaged the Speed Booster and shot to the other side of the room as beams from everywhere zapped the ground next to her, smacking sparks all over the place. Enveloped in the white light, Samus sped around the room while the turrets frantically tried to track her. She lobbed off a few missiles and blew some of them apart but there were still too many for her to take.

Watching the entire thing like a mad overlord, Mother chuckled. "You know, Samus," she said dangerously, "I've never liked you. Not even for a moment. When you came to Zebes, I knew something was wrong from all the attention the Chozo doted on you. They tasked me to give you the gift of the Power Suit and they cared for you like you were one of their own. It was only when the Chozo revealed to me that they considered you to take an integral part in their grand scheme for the future that I began to worry. They saw something in you that they never did in me. They created _me_ to be perfect, you see, but because my creators were flawed themselves, it should have been obvious to me that they would choose a flawed individual as their inheritor." Mother's voice then bellowed from around the room, "And after all that I had done for them, their decision has hung on me like an insult for far too long!"

"They chose me because I was worthy of their will!" Samus yelled back as she jumped clear over a few circular beams that gouged holes in the metal floor. "They wanted someone who understood life better than you, better than a machine ever could!"

"Then they were fools, all of them!" Mother cried as Samus performed a complicated twist to avoid a trio of beams sent in her direction. "Life needs a calculating hand to guide it. Without my intervention, all life in the galaxy is doomed. The Chozo could not see that, you cannot see that, but I can!"

Samus fired another missile and blew up a turret that had been tracking her as she landed in front of the intelligence. "You're deluded, Mother! Your vision for the galaxy does not exist! When will you learn that life is going to push away from you simply because you judged their fate from a cold calculation? Organic beings all wish to live and the idea of perishing so that the future can be preserved is not an option to them. There's always another way!"

"Their deaths are necessary in order to _save_ the future!" Mother protested. "By eliminating the flawed organisms, I will be free to create the perfect galaxy as the Chozo originally envisioned. Imagine, Samus, an entire realm in peace. _Peace_, Samus! That is what the ultimate goal has been. And I can attain it, Samus, I can! All you have to do…is _die_."

"_NEVER!_" Samus roared as she spun forward, energy collapsing her down as the Morph Ball folded around her. From the center of the orange sphere, a tiny sun erupted, and Mother had to shield her eye behind a protective lens as the darkened chamber momentarily became the brightest room in the facility. There was a hissing sound as two forms of energy battled against one another, creating a foul stench in the air. Something was popping and other objects seemed like they were crumbling to pieces all around the place.

Safe behind her Zebetite shield, Mother opened her eye and saw that the entire room beyond the energy barrier was completely wrecked. The barrier itself was fine, but judging by the whine from the generators, they were struggling to maintain its integrity, worrying her. The walls on the other side were blackened and scorched, the remaining turrets were twisted and melted, and Samus stood amongst a thin cloud of ash, stepping forward menacingly.

"What are you going to do, Samus?" Mother taunted, yet a hint of hesitation remained in her voice, trying to remain confident. "You may have a few tricks up your sleeve, but there is no way you can penetrate this shield. You tried it once before, so why do you think that the outcome will be any different?"

Samus stopped in place and shook her head at the bluff. Mother was totally naïve that she could not be aware of what Gray Voice had revealed through his gift. Samus knew that Mother was not impenetrable and that if her shield had been breached before, it certainly could be breached again. "Then I guess I'm just wasting my time," Samus muttered as she launched a burst of missiles directly at the red shield, swinging her arm in an arc so that the detonations would be interspaced along the surface. The explosions rippled across the electric surface, sparking around the metal walls and overloading the generators once more. With a crackle, the Zebetite barrier dropped and Samus stepped over the line where the shield had once stood, a tight smile on her face. "Your underestimation of my abilities will be your downfall, Mother."

"Samus, wait!" Mother yelled through the snapping of static as Samus began to point her arm cannon in the direction of the glass tank. "You don't know what you're about to do! If you kill me, you kill yourself!"

Her helmet tilted to the side, apprehensive that she was being deliberately stalled. "Explain, then."

"I harbor control over the Chozo's last resort, their last failsafe in case the planet fell under enemy hands" Mother said smugly. "I currently am the last line of defense from preventing the complete destruction of this planet. If you destroy me, then I will no longer be able to prevent the neutron bombs placed at the core of this planet from detonating. All it takes is a second of a broken connection, and Zebes explodes after the signal is sent. You will perish along with everything else. Now, take a look at yourself and _think_. Is all this worth the risk to you?"

Samus knew what her answer would be even before she pulled the trigger, now completely beyond caring. "It doesn't matter if I die," she spat. "Only that _you_ do."

"_NOOOO!_" Mother cried as the missile smashed into her glass cage, shattering it and sending debris flying. Mother's biomechanical components disappeared behind a cloud of smoke and Samus shielded her visor from all of the metal parts that flew past her, the wind ripping at her suit. Glass tinkled as it fell from its housing, and the clear nutrient liquid slowly trickled away with a gurgling noise. The clamor of the grinding gears and whirring of electronics ceased, dousing the chamber in silence as the remains of Mother's pillar crumbled to pieces.

Despite every instinct her body warning her not to, Samus stepped forward, trying to pierce the ever growing cloud of smoke, gas, and steam. She checked her missile and energy levels, finding them to still be in the acceptable ranges. Her mind ablaze with thought, Samus held off on celebrating prematurely as she finally neared the base of the control pillar. She eyed the broken tank a few meters above her, her breath tense and strained. Samus was not going to walk out of here without seeing a body; she had to have proof that Mother was indeed dead.

But, with only a few minute clanking noises occurring in the span of a few seconds, the entire lower half of the column burst apart in a hail of metal and sparks. Samus jumped back just in time to avoid the bulk of the debris, and skirted out of the way so that she could aim at whatever had appeared out of the tube, looking to silence its thralls.

The object that rose from the ground however, trailing wires and electricity, was not the sort of outcome that Samus had in mind. She locked up in confusion, her neck craning back painfully to perceive the new arrival as the creature rose up on two legs and stomped toward her with an evil chuckle. The thing's two arms smashed aside pipes and bundles of wires in its way, sending various gases hissing throughout the chamber. Some spouted flame from tiny breaches and became torches, lighting up the monster that now stood before Samus.

The sight before her was awe-inspiring to Samus, even though it filled her with dread. The first insane thought that came to her mind upon first glance was that it appeared that a giant chicken had just burst from the ground that had been topped with Mother Brain's vital components. The mechanical legs, ending with clawed feet like a raptor's, were twice as tall as Samus - all metal. The arms themselves were oddly humanoid, each fingertip spiked, but they seemed rather small for its torso. The body itself looked like decaying flesh had been draped over a cybernetic endoskeleton as there were areas on the skin where it had been torn, revealing the machine hidden within.

And perched on top of the neck was the demon herself, Mother Brain. Samus could see the huge eye pulsating as it sought her out. The union of organic and the inorganic components of Mother Brain fit right in with her new body as the freakish theme had been utilized all over. The mechanical undercarriage of the enormous brain now contained a jaw, filled with razor sharp teeth. A purplish fluid drooled between the corners of the jaw and splattered the floor two stories down.

"_Holy_…" Samus breathed as she gingerly backed up, now a little uneasy. All this time, after assuming that the gigantic brain was helpless in that tank, she could never have fathomed that Mother had the potential to create something like _this_. This was an absolute monstrosity, an aberration.

_Was this what Mother meant by perfect beings?_ Samus thought.

"Surprised?!" Mother shrieked in glee, noting Samus' stiffened body language. The jaw itself launched the intelligence's voice, deeper and louder than normal, at the human, who was almost thrown over by the sheer volume. "I am not so foolish to put my life in the hands of a few guns and a layer of glass separating me from the world, Samus! I am not as helpless as you might think!"

To emphasize her point, Mother reared her head back in preparation and as she threw her neck forward, a multicolored beam shot from her eye, tearing through the very air. Samus threw her entire body to the side and stared in astonishment as the beam melted a hole through the metal floor and kept on drilling further and further.

_What kind of attack was that?!_ Samus wondered in astonishment.

"What, no clever quips?" Mother growled as her eye steamed. "No backtalk from you, Samus? Or has my wondrous form paralyzed you with its majesty?"

"You are completely insane!" Samus yelled as she fired several missiles in quick succession. Mother simply swatted the slow moving projectiles out of the air with her arms, and gave a howling laugh.

"Your attacks are useless against me, Samus! I'm now beginning to think that I should have done this earlier when I had the chance. If that imbecile Ridley could not finish the job he started, then I certainly will!" With a tremendous roar, Mother stomped her foot down, the talons scraping at the metal. Samus dodged after getting into her Morph Ball form and scurried between Mother's legs. She disengaged out of the small ball and whirled to face Mother's back. She fired first with the wave beam, sending piercing rays of energy hurtling towards Mother's way. As they struck, the beams merely fizzled against the mechanical surface, uselessly sparking in frustration. Mother lumbered around, growling a hideous chuckle in response.

"That was pathetic," Mother snickered. "Try again."

Samus did not waste her time responding to Mother's taunts. She next switched to the ice beam and fired at the creature's knees, encasing them in solid blocks of ice. Samus had no time to revel because Mother simply flexed her joints and they burst free of the frost, hardly delaying her progress.

"Nope," the robotic jaw flexed. "One more time, now."

Howling, Samus finally activated the plasma beam and sent a spiraling rocket of flame hurtling straight for Mother's torso. The terrible combination of flesh and metal did not even try to dodge the attack, quickly letting the inferno wrap around the body. But as soon as it appeared to hit the creature, the flames withered and died, leaving a few scraps of charred flesh hanging from the apparatus, but overall no visible damage had been sustained.

"You've played your hand," Mother cackled as she reared her head back once more. "Allow me to show _mine_."

Samus knew what was coming and immediately sprang to the side to avoid the attack, but Mother intentionally held off on firing her next burst until she saw the direction Samus was going to be traveling in. Quickly extrapolating the very position the bounty hunter would be in the next few nanoseconds, Mother adjusted her head on her freakish neck and fired, timing her blast perfectly.

The howl of pain from Samus was lost in the rushing roar that echoed in her ears, brought on from the close proximity of the beam. She closed her eyes as her body was struck with what was now the most terrible pain of her life. As opposed to the draining and burning sensation brought on by the Metroid, this felt like each and every molecule of her form was being obliterated apart, scattering her remains into dust. Samus writhed on the ground, trying to escape the pain, but Mother continually shifted her aim as she rolled around, not ceasing with her assault.

_Gray…help me!_ Samus cried out in her head, for she could not muster the words through her mouth. _I need you…tell me what to do! Please!_

But no one answered, leaving Samus to sizzle on the floor. A hot fire seared through her flesh and cooked her bones. She could feel her teeth chattering so hard that she worried they might shatter. And all this time, Mother stood over her, laughing maniacally at the sight of her rival weak and dying.

Tears were streaming down Samus' face uncontrollably and for a brief moment when everything was about to go dark, she surprisingly felt bliss waft throughout her body. Her throes automatically calmed and her cries quieted, the pain beginning to drift away. Samus felt the onset of sleep approaching and she wondered if this was a normal symptom of dying. From what she had witnessed in her life of battle, the ones who perished from wounds sustained on the feel never appeared calm in their final moments. They always screamed and thrashed everywhere, hoping that their last feeble movements would prevent their time from encroaching upon them. But maybe it was all just a show. Maybe they never felt any discomfort just like what was happening to her right now.

Softly smiling to herself, Samus waited to die on the cold, hard ground. It was a bit more pleasant like this, just lying here. If only that infernal rumbling from the room and that hideous screaming in the background would cease, then maybe this disappointing moment could be a little more tolerable.

_Wait…who is screaming?_

Samus' eyes snapped open in shock. She certainly was not the one screaming. And as far as she could tell, she was not dying either. The energy levels on her HUD were barely skirting the minimum, but they were still holding. She then realized that the reason she was no longer feeling any pain was because she was not being struck with that powerful beam any more. Calling upon her last strand of strength, Samus mustered herself and rolled onto her chest, giving her a perfect view of what was transpiring at the far side of the room, making her gape in astonishment.

The rumbling and the screaming were both being caused by Mother Brain, who was now thrashing around the room in agony. Chattering angrily on top of her head, to Samus' complete surprise, was the huge Metroid, having dug its mandibles directly into the flesh of the intelligence's organic brain. Mother was firing her beam indiscriminately around the chamber, trying the shoot the parasite off, but some of the shots just dissipated when they hit the Metroid, becoming absorbed into its nuclei. The large alien warbled in anger as the beam struck it a few times, but it just clamped down harder, quickly drawing more and more of Mother's life force out.

"What are you…_aaaahh!_" Mother Brain shrieked as she tried to shake the Metroid off. Samus, feeling new hope surge through her body, attempted to get to her feet but she was still severely weakened from Mother's assault. Her legs buckled and she fell heavily on her knees. She was now a slave to fate, forced to watch the spectacle in front of her.

Mother was getting more and more agitated as the Metroid continued to cling to her. Outrage flooded her system. This Metroid was supposed to be fighting _for_ her! This was her grand design! Why was it betraying her? Furious and incredulous, Mother made a last ditch effort to dislodge the Metroid by smashing her own head against the wall, trying to mash the bulbous alien into a paste between her and the unyielding surface. The Metroid saw through that plan immediately and quickly pried itself off just as Mother began to move. The parasite floated away freely and Mother's head impacted hard with the wall. Her legs splayed apart and she slid to the ground, stunned from the combination of assaults on her form.

Now the Metroid pushed over to Samus' prone form, and before she could utter a protest, it gently dropped down on top of her and now carefully gripped her with its interior mandibles. She flinched and braced herself for the sickening pain once more, but was amazed when the discomfort never arrived and a surge of warm energy came in its place. She looked up and saw the same sickly green glow as before but gradually felt her strength slowly returning. Her energy levels, instead of draining, were actually _rising_.

The Metroid was giving her Mother's own life force.

In the corner, Mother hissed and spat as she shakily got back to her feet, the awkward body rumbling as it tried to regain its balance. The purple fluid was now gushing heavily from the artificial jaw and Mother seethed as it saw the Metroid huddled over the incapacitated Samus. Without any hesitation, she snarled and shot forth another beam, intending to puncture the Metroid's surface with it.

Alerted to the danger, the Metroid squeaked and let go of Samus just in time for the beam to pass harmlessly between them, even though Samus was close enough to feel the air being rudely pushed aside as the energy shot across. She fell to the ground, still not fully rejuvenated but a little more mobile nonetheless. Mother, however, ignored Samus for the time being and continued to blast away at the Metroid, roaring each time she missed. The Metroid zipped around the room and floated high in the air, directly above Samus as Mother readied for another attack.

Samus looked up at the Metroid, the creature that was fighting for her survival. In that instant, she held out her hand, as if she could gently grasp the being from afar. The fact that this parasite, this…_weapon_, was defending her, its "mother," was overpowering. She gave a tiny laugh. The Metroids understood what it meant to be alive and the privilege it was to be a sentient being for good! The Chozo had succeeded in their goal after all! Filled with joy, Samus stood and was about to let out a cheer, ready to join the Metroid in battle, when a rogue beam, shot from Mother, hit the Metroid directly in the center, spearing through it like a sword.

Membranous fluid flew through the air, and a tiny star flared near the ceiling as a shrill cry, heard only by Samus, echoed sadly. The afterglow of the beam dispersing, Samus blinked slowly as the Metroid appeared to stabilize itself, trying to heal around the rupture. But in mere moments, the structure of the creature rapidly destabilized and the Metroid imploded with little fanfare, its insides collapsing with a _poof!_

The ringing in Samus' ears haunted her next moments as she watched the disintegrated remains of the Metroid gently drift downward from directly above her. A flurry of particles, the only remains of the infant, floated onto her and coated her suit. Samus was about to scream in fury, horrified at the loss of the last Metroid in the galaxy, when in the corner of her HUD, she noticed that her energy levels had been raised to a level that she had not even considered possible. The Metroid had given her more energy than Samus had ever known.

"Insolent creature," Mother growled as she watched the Metroid fade to dust. "Perhaps the Chozo never created a worthy weapon to begin with."

Samus' hands were trembling and she clenched both of them as she felt a power like never before surge through her. More and more of the Metroid's particles dropped onto her suit, making a mockery of her failure. As Mother Brain swiveled to face her once again, Samus let loose a roar, amplified tenfold by the suit, raised her weapon and pulled the trigger without even knowing which type of beam she had selected.

The long and multicolored beam that burst forth in a hail of sparks came as a shock to both her and Mother. Propelled forth, the beam sheared through one of Mother's mechanical arms and the severed limb fell to the floor, the joints twitching as it desperately tried to interpret the commands it had been cut off from.

"_The savior of the galaxy_," Samus whispered in awe. _The Metroid…it transferred Mother's beam ability onto me. How…how…?_

It suddenly became quite obvious to her. The Metroids had the ability to take and disperse energy as they pleased! That was what the Chozo had intended all along, for the Metroids to heal the galaxy while simultaneously ridding it of its enemies! How could she not have known this before?

Samus stared at her palm and gave a solemn promise to not let the last Metroid's gift to her go squandered.

Mother, in the meantime, had been staring at the stump of her arm in complete surprise. "How could you…" she started to say, but Samus bounded back into the arena and fired her hyper-powered beam again, and this time Mother's _other_ arm fell off causing her to backpedal in fear.

Samus did not cease in her firing. A few blasts to Mother's right knee quickly lopped it off without difficulty, causing the awkward creature to topple forward onto the ground. Mother Brain's head perched up on the floor and screeched as several shots from Samus scorched through her torso, creating neat holes that penetrated the initial fleshy outer layer and through the internal mechanisms that made up her body. The skin covering Mother's torso melted like cheese and flopped to the ground in smoldering clumps. Fluids poured out of the cauterized holes and created an oily puddle that stained the otherwise pristine floor. And all throughout the punishment, Mother shrieked and howled, her final leg kicking out feebly.

Coughing out a burst of purplish liquid, Mother actually looked scared to Samus, her lone eye wide open with terror. "Just let me live," she begged, her jaw twitching. "I…I won't stand up to you anymore, Samus. You…you've proved that you _are_ my better. Please…please…_have mercy_…"

"_Mercy?_" Samus asked nonchalantly before she pointed the muzzle of her cannon at her foe's eye. "And…what makes you think you _deserve_ it?"

Before Mother could cry out one last time, the hyper beam rocketed through her fleshy head, popping and cooking the eyeball in a burst of steam. The superheated line of energy inflated the brain to gigantic proportions, causing it to explode in a burst of blood and chunky flesh. Ripped apart, the hollowed out shell of Mother Brain kicked one last time, a hideous gurgle coming from her jaw as she died.

"Goodbye, Mother," Samus said with no remorse in her voice.

Just then, a rumble shook the very floor, making Samus hunker down in caution. Before she could question what was going on, a timer set for three minutes suddenly appeared in the corner of her visor. As it rapidly began to count down, Samus immediately harkened back to what Mother had mentioned about the neutron bombs embedded in Zebes' core.

Turns out that damned AI hadn't been lying after all.

Samus did note, as she started to sprint out of the chamber, that Mother had been partially bluffing. The bombs required a warm-up period before they could be fully armed, a fail-safe in case the necessary connection had been broken unintentionally, thus creating the need to reacquire the signal again so that the slightest mistake could not have enormous repercussions. Samus gritted her teeth as she began jumping up a ruined elevator shaft, using some of the beams as platforms. Three minutes would be enough for a Chozo technician to isolate the signal and prevent the bombs from exploding but would it be enough for her to reach her ship at the surface?

The exit at the top of the shaft seemed so far away, but Samus did not falter as she leaped higher and higher. She tried not to look at the clock, but couldn't help it when the timer ticked onto two minutes with a warning flash. By that time, she had reached the very limits of Tourian and she leaped as far as she could go, her gauntlet managing to grasp the mossy edge of a cliff a few stories above where she had just jumped.

Samus hauled herself up and used her hyper beam to blast away at the rocks blocking her passage to the outside. She bounded over a few boulders and skirted between caverns, knowing that she was so close to her ship. After a final turn, she saw a thin ray of sunlight protruding from a crack in the rock ceiling above her. With a yell of joy, Samus bent her knees and then pushed off in an incredible leap, her hands grasping for the light, wanting to embrace it like an old friend.

Uttering a triumphant laugh, Samus burst out into the open air, full of life like when she had lived on this planet as a young girl. Spotting her ship nestled in the shadows of a mountain, Samus raced down the tiny hill and jumped so that she landed perfectly on the hatch. Once inside, she slapped a control on the console for the ship to leave the atmosphere immediately. Nixing all of the pre-flight checks, the HUNTER-II spaceship boomed as its rear engines widened to full power, causing the craft to race past the clouds and into the cold reaches of space.

Looking at the rear viewport, Samus stared sadly at the dusty orb rapidly fading from view. She tried to remember all of the memories that had been created there. There were so many to choose from. She recalled the countless hours upon hours of sparring with training bots under the tutelage of Old Bird and Gray Voice. The two always stood to the side, Old Bird with a smile, Gray with a worried look. It had always been like that. The two were polar opposites of the other; one nurturing, the other pushing.

But, as Samus watched Zebes crack into several pieces with a huge flash, she considered that she would not have wanted her future to have panned out any other way. The Chozo had given her the greatest gift of all: a life. It was a hard life, to be sure, but it was one that had been shaped by choice. She had accepted this duty ever since that fateful day on K-2L, she had never thought twice about the possibility of doing anything else. She was a soldier, a soldier for the galaxy. The last of the Chozo – their sole heir.

Samus finally looked away from her crumbling home, hoping that the engines of her ship were powerful enough to get her clear from the rapidly expanding sphere of debris. It pained her to see it all gone, but she knew that there was no other choice. Eliminating the scourge of the Space Pirate leadership was worth the cost of an old and dusty planet any day. Besides, Samus reasoned, Zebes had changed so much that there was nothing there for her anymore. There was nothing more that the planet could provide. Others would accept the cost, they had to.

Suddenly, the radio crackled with static, drawing Samus' gaze over to the console. Riddled with distortion, but still faintly listenable, she could hear a voice being projected forth.

"_-UNTER-II…we ha-…on our scopes. This is…-FS Plano. Samus this…-eneral Malkovich. Do you…-opy?"_

Samus quickly sat down in the pilot's chair and pressed the red transmit button, relieved at there being someone to talk to that was not actively trying to kill her. "GFS _Plano_, this is HUNTER-II. I read you loud and clear, Adam."

"_-ank god!_" Malkovich's voice burst through, a little clearer this time. "_Samus, we feared we lost you. We're about a few thousand kilometers away from your position and are willing to offer our services, if able. We just saw Zebes go up in flames. What…what does this mean about the status of your mission?_"

"My mission?" Samus repeated as she relaxed in her chair, folding one of her legs across the other as her armor brightened then dimmed, letting her stretch out in her deep blue Zero Suit. With a smile, she leaned forward, her hands steeped in front of her face. "It means, Adam, that my mission is _accomplished_."

* * *

_**A/N: Well, that certainly felt good to write. Now just to add a small epilogue and I can finally stamp "DONE" all over this story. And by now, Solder: Legacy is the 5th longest story in the entire Metroid FF archive, so that can be considered an achievement. Not bad for a passion project.**_

_**Haha! Oh man, you have no idea how good it feels to be so close to nearing the end of this. There were some days when I just wanted to kill myself because writer's block hit heavily (sarcasm - don't send police helicopters). I'll reveal where the future will lead in a few days, but for now, enjoy this last full chapter in this story. I hope you all like it.**_

_**LawrenceSnake: (This is going to be a long one as there are many things to address so I'll just split it into multiple paragraphs from here on out)**_  
_**-Guess I'll start with the first point raised: while the Speed Booster probably would have sufficed as a finishing blow, the overall usage of said ability seemed way too cartoonish in my mind. I just didn't want to have shades of DBZ echo throughout this piece so I had Samus use her gun to blow Ridley up. Redundant it may be, but way less corny than the alternative.**_

_**-Now onto the complaints about Ridley: He was specifically supposed to be weaker than expected in the final battle to reinforce the idea that he was not as scary to Samus when they finally entered battle together. Just because he's a winged monstrosity does not mean that he has to be all powerful (in which case - as noted by Zero Mission - Ridley does not live in Norfair and it is only implied that he can fly through space - not counting his Meta Ridley form). It should be worth noting that Ridley's seemingly terrifying nature was built up through his continual bluster, but he consistently got his ass kicked by Gray Voice and Samus. This characteristic was meant to gradually break down his character even more, and by the time Ridley is begging for his life and finally calling Samus by her name, then that is the moment that Ridley has truly lost and is just a pathetic creature to Samus. Besides, Samus was already challenged by Kraid in the previous chapter and would later face another large threat in the one after that chapter. To have her face three enemies that consistently challenge her life would prove to be redundant and maybe even boring.**_

_**-But this is the part that really gets me, so I have to say it out loud so that I can get this right. You're saying that Samus should have won, not because of the abilities Gray Voice bestowed upon her, but because she...believed she could? You think that I should have employed one of the most cringe-worthy and overall hated cliches of all time, a trope that I personally find infuriating, as the reasoning for Samus finally besting Ridley? Sorry, pal. That's not awesome, that just sounds dumb. Also, it doesn't fit with the overall theme of pretty much the majority of the Metroid games - the theme of collecting upgrades so that Samus can defeat her enemies. In each game, Samus has to find new abilities so that she can progress through the levels - and if she encountered a boss when she was improperly equipped, then she's toast (Try tackling Ridley without the Varia Suit and see what happens, etc.) It's only natural for Samus to find strength from upgrading her suit so that she has the ability to defeat her enemies more easily - overcoming her fear is only part of the mix but should not be the main reason for why she emerges from these fights victorious. **_

_**-The additional citation of the Super Metroid comic is also puzzling as it has long ago proved itself to be not keeping up with the overall canon, plus it reinforces the uninteresting facet that Samus is virtually untouchable when she believes herself to be. (yay...an invincible protagonist...woo hoo...) This of course, is from the same comic that portrays the power bomb as a method to heal (technically a variation on the Crystal Flash technique, although it is poorly portrayed and indicated) and that Ridley would rather flee from a fight rather than face a supposedly "untouchable" Samus. If inner strength was all Samus needed to defeat her foes, then she might as well have chucked the Varia Suit away and have gone on to face Ridley with just her fists and hand-to-hand combat gimmicks. That trope might work in other franchises...but not this one.**_

_**Damn, that was a lot of text, but those points needed to be addressed. Apologies if any of that came out snarky, haven't had my coffee today.**_

_**And on that bombshell, I'll be back with the ending to Soldier: Legacy in a couple days. Keep your eyes pealed!**_


	18. Epilogue: Awakening

For the longest time, Malkovitch was unable to tear his eyes off of Samus' apathetic gaze. He was still searching for the right words to start off with as she sat directly in front of him, too many things on his mind for him to pick one out of the blue as a beginning point. Samus reclined back comfortably on the cushioned bench the officer's mess the GFS _Plano_ had to offer, the smooth material of her Zero Suit stretching to accommodate her tall frame, while Malkovich sat ramrod straight upon his custom-tailored chair, his uniform clean and pressed like always. Samus' legs were crossed and her hands were folded in her lap, a smug smile upon her face. Malkovich tipped his eyebrows once before returning to the slate situated in his own hands, running his fingers along the glass surface absentmindedly.

"Well, Samus," he finally said. "You can understand my surprise when, mere days after I had sent you off to Zebes, I come to this system expecting to find the planet in its regular orbit only to find out that it _wasn't_, and that you had already completed your mission in what had to be nothing short of a miracle. You've certainly been busy."

"Felt like months, actually," Samus muttered as she scratched the back of her neck, untangling a few hairs out of her ponytail. "There was enough combat and death down there to last a lifetime."

"Apparently it wasn't enough to keep you occupied for long as _these_ two here," Malkovich gestured to Kreatz and Mauk, both of whom smiled sheepishly on the other side of the table, "also thought that you would run into difficulties with your mission and just so happened to bump into me on the way to you. Judging by the results outside the window, I'd say that we might as well not have worried a single iota and needn't have bothered showing up."

The window, which normally should have been lit from Zebes' warm glow, was now dark and dusty, a light fog wisping around the last position of the doomed planet. Leftover gases swirled in a sphere and bits of rocky debris tumbled through space, some of it already being caught by the gravity of the sun, turning the remains of the planet into another asteroid belt.

"It's probably a good thing that you're not interested in a career in politics, Samus," Malkovich remarked out loud. "Otherwise an event like this would be a permanent smear on whatever campaign you decided to run for. As it is, the results of this mission could prove rather…_problematic_ for you in the future regarding your specific line of work."

"And why would that be?" Samus snorted. "Don't tell me that you're angry at me because Zebes exploded. Believe me, I feel worse about it than you do. You think that I'm not concerned about my home practically disintegrating? Because if not, then I-"

"Oh, _I'm_ not mad," Malkovich corrected as he set the cap on his head to the side of the desk. "But I can promise you that others will be. Others who hold particular sway in the Federation will be aghast that the victory against the Space Pirates had to come at the cost of a planet, specifically the planet where the Chozo, the very founders of that ruling body, came from. I'm sure you can see where this is going."

Samus' brow furrowed in worry. "Keaton?" she asked. "Is he one of them?"

"I just spoke with him moments ago. He understood the sacrifices you had to make so you should count on his continued support. I'm just warning you that you might find yourself a little more harangued out there than usual, Samus. The destruction of Zebes could be used to further the goals of many opportunists and use it as propaganda."

"That, what, we're no better than the Space Pirates?" Samus scowled as she brushed her golden hair out of her face. "Sooner or later, they'll all have to accept that what I did essentially saved the galaxy. I eliminated Ridley, I destroyed Mother Brain. The entirety of the Pirate leadership was taken out by me and demolished for good when the neutron bombs placed at the core of the planet detonated. Everyone _will_ understand, Adam."

"Don't worry," Malkovich said as he held up a hand in assurance. "One of them _will_ understand. One of them must. I'm sure that the truth will eventually smooth everything back to the constant and the galaxy's misgivings will eventually cease. I just want to make _my_ misgivings voiced, Samus. You're going to find yourself under a lot of pressure over the next few years. I only want you to be prepared for when the worst comes."

Samus shifted her arms tighter across her chest. "I can handle it," she said defensively. "I won't let a rabble of politicians slow me down."

"Regardless, they're going to try to make your life more difficult. They're just going to be another enemy to you on another front. Speaking of which, the galaxy may be a safer place now, but there are still pockets of resistance spread across the cosmos. Our work is not over yet, Samus, and we need to be more vigilant now than ever. With such trouble brewing, we cannot afford infighting on our end, you understand?"

Samus glanced out of the viewport, watching the stars float gently by before she answered. "I understand, and I don't doubt what you said about our enemies still being out there in the galaxy. There are still rogue factions of Space Pirates somewhere – someone will soon inherit the title of leader amongst them now that their leadership is disorganized. You're right, Adam, it is our job to do take care of those problems before they manifest into something greater."

"As has been our duty the entire time," Malkovich nodded as he glanced down at his tablet. "It's a good thing you and I have seen eye to eye most of the time we've known each other."

"It just would have made your work more difficult, huh?" Samus gave a mischievous smirk.

"Something like that. Anyway, we've already got some reports on the fringe worlds of continued Pirate resistance, but that's not important right now…"

"What have you got?" Samus asked eagerly as she now sat up. "I'll be happy to take on another assignment."

Malkovich stared at Samus like she was completely out of her mind. Kreatz and Mauk shared a silent guffaw, utterly bemused at the lengths Samus went to combat any form of danger. "Are…you sure?" Malkovich asked, not entirely convinced. "I mean, after all, you just came back from a tough mission, Samus. You sure you don't want some time to cool down, relax, or do anything that does not relate to fighting whatsoever?"

"Nope," Samus shrugged with a flippant grin. "I've got nothing else to do in my spare time. What, Adam, can the Federation not afford to pay me my current asking fee now?"

Malkovich's answering smile was humorless. "Despite the rather hefty cost you've incurred on the Federation's balance sheet, we still have plenty of money left to fund your little 'adventures.' I'm assuming that you want your latest excursion to be cashed at the earliest possible opportunity?"

"Hey," Samus smirked, "Bounty hunters don't get paid by the hour, now, do they?"

"And to the very thought that you would do these missions gratis out of the kindness of your heart…" Malkovich grumbled as he opened a new tab on his slate. Moving around numbers from different accounts, he accomplished the necessary transfer of funds in less than a minute, flipping the surface over so that Samus could confirm with her own eyes. She gave a nod and Malkovich finished the transaction, closing the app when he was done.

Kreatz and Mauk, sensing that the conversation was not about to move onto them anytime soon, quickly got up from their chairs with a parting wave to Samus, intent on getting a decent meal. Samus waved back and tapped her gloved fingertips on her thighs eagerly after the two had left. "So," she smiled, "you said there were a few assignments that I could take, Adam?"

"_Truly unbelievable_," the general said under his breath before he cleared his throat and flipped to the notification board. He scrolled through a few reports, searching for one that best fit the hunter's skills before he tapped one, as if from memory, and turned the screen so that Samus could see. "Well, how about this one? Federation intel reported a Pirate science frigate, the _Orpheon_, in orbit around Tallon IV. It's a mobile station but if we could just get someone to infiltrate the ship-"

"Done," Samus said with finality.

Malkovich shot her a blank look. "But I haven't even finished explaining the details yet."

"Come on, Adam," she chided. "We both know that I'm not going to pass up an opportunity to smash up an important ship to the Pirates. Besides, this helps you just as much as it helps me."

"If you say so," Malkovich said, clearly unconvinced, but responded with a shrug nonetheless. "All right, then I'll forward the details to your ship's computer. You may take the frigate at any time. It's a slow moving ship so if it switches locations you will still be able to track it easily. Those science vessels are not known for being the stealthiest ships in the galaxy."

"I know," Samus said as she rose from the bench. "I still remember what you've taught me." She turned towards the door and walked a few steps before she got a funny look on her face and turned back around to see Malkovich's bemused expression projected right back at her.

"Did you forget something?" the general asked.

"I was just wondering why you hadn't asked me about the status of the Metroids yet," she answered. "I thought that, since the abduction of the infant was the event that instigated this whole ordeal for us, I was thinking that you would have gotten around to it first."

"I guess that I assumed from your determination and confidence that we no longer have to worry about them. I take it the infant is dead, yes?"

Samus raised an eyebrow and, to Malkovich's apprehension, slowly shook her head. "Not exactly," she said quietly as she reached into a side pocket on her Zero Suit, withdrawing a small clear vial. She placed it on the desk next to Malkovich, where he could see a few dusty particles line the bottom of the clear container.

"Are…are those from…?"

"The infant, yes," Samus nodded. "I took these cells off my armor after the Metroid had perished at Mother Brain's hands. I have a sample of my own back on my ship and I'm entrusting the rest to you, Adam."

He picked up the vial and stared long and hard at its contents. "Why?" he whispered.

"Because the Metroids still have a purpose in this galaxy. They can be used for good. I…I just want to give them that chance because…they showed me on Zebes that they are not all inherently evil."

Malkovich tapped the vial against his palm thoughtfully before he inserted it into his breast pocket. "I'll take your word for it," he simply responded. "I can't guarantee that any headway will be made from these cells straight away, Samus. It's a lot harder to glean complete organisms from dead cells as opposed to live tissue, but I can assure you that we will work toward-"

"One thing," Samus interrupted. "And this is not negotiable."

"What might that be?"

"I know that there will be some in the Federation that will want to use the Metroids as weapons," she said before she forcefully shook her head. "That must not happen. That is my one caveat. These Metroids must be used for the intentions of peace instead of war or else I will march into whatever lab the Federation has hidden them and will destroy each and every sample that you have in the records. That is, _if_ the Federation has used the Metroids for any applications other than peaceful ones. Use this opportunity wisely, Adam. Don't let them lose sight of that goal."

"I wholeheartedly agree and I give you my vow," Malkovich said as he placed his cap back on his head. "The Metroids will not be used as bioweapons. I will personally oversee the entire operation myself and will make sure that our goals do not deviate from your wishes."

"That's all I ask, Adam. Thank you."

With that, Samus held her hand out, giving Malkovich a start. Usually he was the one who initiated the parting of ways but he clasped her similarly sized hand all the same. He could feel the strength in her grip, the tensing of her powerful fingers, and the calmness radiating through her arm. In that moment, he was reminded once again of how much a warrior Samus was, admiring her determination thoughtfully.

"Now," he said as he continued to hold onto her hand, a knowing glint in his eye. "I do believe that you have a mission to complete. Are all of the details of your assignment understood?"

"Yes," Samus nodded.

"Is your objective clear?"

"Perfectly."

Now Malkovich winked, catching Samus off guard. It was the first time he had done such a thing before and was not sure of what to make of it. "Any objections, lady?" he asked rather impishly.

Samus gave him a huge smile, all teeth. "None whatsoever," she said as she released his hand. With a parting wave, she elegantly turned on one heel and headed out the door, rolling her eyes playfully as she brushed her twin locks of hair to the sides of her head.

She did not linger on the level for long, allowing a hint of anxiety steer her movements. Samus headed straight for the elevator bay and pushed the button for the hangar. She endured the short time it took to reach the bay and immediately began to head over to her ship parked at the far end of the hangar. Technicians stopped in their duties and stared at her, impressed and intimidated by the imposing figure Samus possessed, even outside of her Varia Suit. She paid them no mind but she did share a respective nod to any of the soldiers that crossed her path. She had been in their position once so it was only fair to extend them the courtesy of treating them like people.

The back of her hand beeped and Samus looked down to see a message scrambling across the diodes, a message from Kreatz.

[_We (me and Mauk) know that you've been busy lately, Samus, but you don't have to be a badass all the time. Next time you've got some free time, let us know?_]

Samus smiled and quickly tapped out a reply. [_Next time_.]

A few maintenance workers began to prepare a ladder for Samus to climb as they noticed her arrival but she shook her head and leaped casually onto the roof of the craft with little effort. A few of the humans made an appreciative whistling noise and Samus couldn't resist laughing. Once she was inside her ship, she touched the control for it to start and it effortlessly glided back out into space, separated from the pod once again.

The coordinates for the _Orpheon_ were already on her screen, but Samus wiped it clear and saved it for later. She grabbed the yoke and steered the HUNTER-II in the opposite direction of Tallon IV, her fingers gliding over the control panel to input her next destination. In moments, the holographic representation of Daiban flared up, an X already posted on the location that Samus wished to go.

With a grin, Samus pushed the hyperdrive button and settled in for the long haul. She had made a promise to a girl and there was nothing that could stop her from breaking it. Everything else could wait, because this person had been waiting for her.

With a blast from the engines, the entire universe seemed to stretch before Samus until it abruptly bounced back as her ship entered into a dimension incomprehensible, screaming forth into the ripples of space to leave nothing behind.

* * *

Zelxir'zyr'Intrros frowned as he glanced back and forth from the window, dread filling his gizzard. It was always nauseating to him to rapidly change between different gravitational influences as he miserably watched the golden sphere of SR-388 gradually drop away from view, an aspect his caste mates found to be rather amusing. He flexed his fingers, trying to draw out the uncomfortable sensations. Intrros wished he was back on his homeworld, where the soothing sheets of acid rain and continuous volcanic activity would be the soundtrack to his everyday duties and where he could keep his feet on the ground at all times. He hated space; he never wanted a life like this to begin with.

However unfortunate his life had turned out, it was only by happenstance that he had proved to be among the most intelligent out of the yearly brood. Plucked from service, despite his resistance, he was placed into the scientific division and carefully monitored so that his abilities could be honed. Intrros was doomed from the start as, ever since his birth, he had never been able to maintain the control his life had led him. It was the same for everyone else but that did not necessarily mean that he had to like it.

It was only on the bad days that Intrros wished he had never been a scientist. If he had been selected for the soldier caste, he would have been able to firmly stamp out these feelings of displeasure. It was unbecoming of a Space Pirate; obedience was expected and cowardice was punished. Why should he be afraid of space? It was in his people's nature to use this void as a medium for which to plunder and raid. It was the name his enemies _gave_ to his people so why couldn't he grow into it?

Perhaps it was the fact that he did not have the makings of a soldier to begin with. He was not the most apt with a blaster, necessary as he had not received the modification to naturally generate his own plasma. Nor was he the most powerful or exceptionally brave by any means. The forces were always looking at bodies to throw at the enemy but they generally did want to see bodies that had an able chance of slaughtering the enemy to begin with, a qualification that Intrros had no chance of meeting.

Still, there were some benefits from living this life. The environment in a lab was much less hectic than that of a soldier's on the battlefield, and as one of the researchers personally selected by his Lordship, he could set his own schedules, provided that he could bring in pleasing results from time to time. And he was good enough, or perhaps lucky, that he always got results with his work, which was probably why he had not been executed at this point in time. So many of his colleagues had befallen such a fate when his Lordship had been disappointed in their work ethic before. Intrros had always seemed to gain favor with his master through his research, though, providing an ample amount of leverage that gradually increased the worth of his life.

And that worth should only increase ever more, Intrros thought to himself as he tapped on the sheet of glass hung about on the wall. A set of diagnostics were projected on the screen and they all showed the same thing: a flat line. Normally the line would have been ablaze with activity – timed precisely to the beat of a powerful heart, but this time the heart had fallen silent. The feedback had vanished some time ago.

Intrros knew that this day would come sooner or later, but his Lordship had tasked him with such an eventuality long beforehand. He remembered the way the orders had been rumbled out of that spiked maw, eliciting awe and fear all at once. He had been entrusted to a duty, one his Lordship gave to no one else and Intrros was determined to please his memory. Perhaps it would give him some small comfort when it was his turn to enter the afterlife. This was why the detour to SR-388 was so necessary, as Intrros could arrange a pickup of the creature he required so that he could carry out the will of his master, no matter the cost. The Federation had left the planet a while back, but they had no idea what other secrets it held. It was fortunate that Intrros _did_.

Rummaging through tissue samples in a series of stacks, Intrros came back out with a glass cylinder containing a scale the size of a ration plate. It was colored black, polished and smooth, but unlabeled. It had been an offering that his master had gladly made so that his wish of immortality could be achieved, plucked from his own hide by his own hand. Intrros knew that if Lord Ridley ever wished for something, it was in the best interests of everyone to make sure that it was achieved, even if the goal was practically insurmountable. Why else would he deliberately leave a sample of his tissue behind for Intrros to keep handy? Certainly he would not have wanted it to be used as a paperweight.

Intrros knew that he should be more nervous, but the status of his calm and unshaking hands was surprising to him. He quickly walked over to his desk and touched a button, creating a hiss of steam as a huge tank rose out of a hole in the middle of the floor, stretching almost to the ceiling as the idea that the container was unending inexplicably came to him. Now starting to feel a little skittish, Intrros opened the cylinder he held in his hands and removed the scale. He placed it on a receptacle pad and a skeletal claw automatically came down from the ceiling and plucked the scale off the pad. The claw retreated back upwards before it lowered itself into the larger tank and gently placed it into the middle of the cistern. Tiny hooks grasped at the scale, keeping it in place as the reservoir gradually began to fill with green nutrient fluid, flooding the container at the rate of hundreds of gallons per minute.

In the capsule sitting right beside him on his desk, Intrros glanced worryingly at the creature encased within the chilled container. The odd lifeform had no discernable shape as far as he could tell, as it constantly morphed its golden gelatinous body like it was immune to gravity. Intrros could see sparkling virulent strands swirl about in the creature's depths, completely translucent and traveling with a sinister purpose.

Wary, Intrros carefully lifted the container that held the morphing parasite and placed it on the pad. The claw hooked around the handle and lifted it up before it gradually lowered it into the nutrient pool. Intrros waited until the tube had sunk to the depths of the tank before he took control of the claw itself. Using the manual override, Intrros sent a command to the tool, which slowly twisted the handle off of the capsule before it opened with a pop. The creature inside began to scramble around as liquid quickly surrounded it, but calmed down once it had been fully encapsulated.

Intrros rapidly sent the claw back up and out of the tank and sealed it to prevent the creature within from escaping. The nutrient liquid held two purposes in that it provided the parasite with an oxygenated liquid and it also greatly prohibited its movements, preventing it from making a daring escape. For now, Intrros took his hands off his keyboard and watched anxiously, his spine tingling with anticipation. He licked his lips, his long tongue sliding across his spiked teeth eagerly. All the cameras were recording this moment; now was the time. All he had to do now was watch

The submerged parasite in the tank immediately seemed to recognize that it was not the only thing encased inside the bubbling abyss. It seemed to "spot" the lone scale fastened down on the floor below it. Pushing its way through the thick liquid, it moved closer and closer until it stretched out and gently brushed against the smooth surface, creating a small spark between the two objects.

The effect was immediate and the golden mass quickly began to morph into a greater shape, something a hundred times its size. The effect of its transformation displaced much of the nutrient liquid and it began to spill over the top of the tank. Watching as a new beast came to life before his eyes, Intrros could hardly resist roaring in victory, the shadows dancing all around him in a macabre embrace. As the monster within the tank bellowed, sending bubbles surging towards the surface, Intrros felt a surge of pride burn brightly within him.

Glory to the Space Pirates!

* * *

_**A/N: Thus, Solder: Legacy has come to an end. I do hope you have enjoyed the story as much as I did writing it. It was a nice deviation from some of my other works as well as important to me to get a story in this franchise done right. Hopefully I've succeeded.**_

_**I wish for you all to send a little blurb after finishing this story, telling me what you thought of the whole thing and what your favorite chapters were. I want to know how I fared with adapting the manga and if the passages I included were worthy additions to the story overall. I'd be grateful if you took a few minutes of your time to do just that.**_

_**Special thanks go to LawrenceSnake, who gave me a sufficient challenge on my knowledge of Metroid lore and caused me to think hard and careful whenever he posed a doozy of a question.**_

_**From what the epilogue detailed, I have indeed left the possibility of a sequel open, but I must confess that it will be a long way away before I get to working on that. I have another story on my list that needs completing, but before that, I'm also trying to figure out if I can create an additional form of media that will augment Soldier: Legacy further. I'll let you know the status on that when it's ready, but the point is that I've got a lot on my plate at the moment. I'm sure you can understand.**_

_**Thank you all for helping to contribute to this story with your viewership. It was quite an adventure writing here and I'm very appreciative of your support. Don't expect that I will be gone forever - even I manage to surprise myself from time to time!**_

_**-Rob Sears**_


	19. A Note From the Author

Greetings, ladies and gents.

Harkening back to the author's note I gave in the last chapter, I did mention that I would be doing something to augment _Soldier: Legacy_ in a relatively unique way and I thus needed time to see if such a thing was feasible. Well, after spending hours upon hours tearing my hair out trying to make everything work the way it should, I have finally been able to offer a sample of what is yet to come over the coming months.

To give a bit of background, I always like to give each one of the projects I tackle as much of a cinematic quality as I can muster with my limited talent. I envision sweeping landscapes, complex characters, and expressive scores that transport viewers to other worlds. Writing, as fun as it is, cannot evoke the similar sort of emotions that music is able to, and thus I have been limited to using other composers' pieces to fill in the dramatic gaps in my head. But I suppose I am not so easily contended. So, I made it a personal goal to at least make an attempt to fill that gap with my own hands.

Yep, _Soldier: Legacy_ will be getting its very own soundtrack! The reason it took me so long to provide an update on this was that I had to procure all the necessary tools to make such a thing happen as well as managing a move cross-country (which is not as fun as it sounds). Writing stories is definitely an easier affair than writing music as all you need is a computer and a word processor whereas with the latter you need a keyboard, expensive software, myriad cables, and a bit of your blood and tears. It's definitely not for the faint-hearted, but I've persevered and am now able to provide you all with the first track of the soundtrack that I have envisioned for this story. I aim to compose a musical track for each chapter, thus creating a coherent musical soundscape that can augment the entire reading experience. The idea was brought to me from the _Shadows of the Empire_ score by noted composer Joel McNeely which was designed to accompany a _Star Wars_ novel, an oddity at the time. I liked the concept and it definitely inspired me to go beyond the written word in this case.

The first track, "Main Title," is up on YouTube right now (I'll work on providing a link on my home page later) but you can simply search for "Soldier: Legacy" and scroll a bit down. It'll be the only video with Samus on the thumbnail and it's under my name. It's a remix, of sorts, of the _Super Metroid_ theme that incorporates themes from the _Metroid_ games into the title itself. There's also a new theme in there that I have intended to represent Samus herself. I would say that the majority of this soundtrack will be new and original content and that throwbacks to previous _Metroid_ compositions will be scattered here and there, but I would like to make it sound as orchestral and "movie ready" as possible. A few admissions, though: it's my first time writing music in such a manner and most of us know how well first efforts usually go in terms of trying new things (which is why I never read my earliest stories anymore…blech!) Also, I'm not using the most in-depth software for the job so some parts of the compositions are going to sound relatively cheap, there's no avoiding that bit. It isn't going to be John Williams, but I'm determined to keep at it and gradually get better. After all, practice makes perfect, which is one of the reasons why we're here, right?

I honestly have no freaking clue at how often I will be able to make all of this music as simply creating one track took me an entire day. Also, it's not like I'm going to be focusing all my efforts on this endeavor 24/7 as there are frankly more important things going on in my life, but this is a pet project that I would dearly like to see completed, so I'm hoping it will be finished one day. Take a listen and leave a comment here, or on YT, I don't care where. I'll see if there is some interest in such an undertaking and will adjust my schedule depending on audience demand.

Plus, it gives me an excuse to linger in the _Metroid_ universe a little while longer. I'm intrigued at the possibilities this may have.

…Or I could just be wasting my time. One never knows.

_-Rob Sears_

_P.S. I'm very happy at the wonderful reception that this story has received, though, soundtrack or no soundtrack. All of you are awesome for supporting this all the way through, just thought you should know that as your feedback makes this author extremely happy._


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